Budget Friendly
Old-fashioned small-town carnival since 1926. Local fire department hosts in July of each year. Rides, live music, raffles, food concessions, games, bingo. Admission is free.
Humble budget motel. Old, dated, but clean rooms. 2 miles from Milford. WiFi, in-room coffee/tea maker, fridge. $
Mount Wismer abuts 170-acres of Gravel Family Nature Preserve. Hardwood forest, open fields, hiking trails. Great scenic view.
(PEEC) in the 77,000-acre DWGNRA offers 12 miles of hiking trails, weekend educational programs, conference facilities, and summer camp.
Small town movie theater with a twist – have food delivered to your seat. Cute entertainment center with sandwich/ice cream shop, kids’ arcade, mini-golf.
Highest falls in PA, only a few feet shorter than Niagra Falls. Short hike, boardwalk along 70%. Come early on weekends, wear comfy shoes.
Family-owned budget motel near Lake Wallenpaupack. Clean, comfortable rooms and efficiency suites. Cable TV, WiFi, heated indoor swimming pool.
40 miles + 60,000 acres of biking, hiking, fishing, camping, swimming, boating on the Delaware River in this jewel of the National Park System.
Restored 19th-century Industrial Revolution mining town, tours & museum. Houses, 2 churches, a rectory, company store. “You load sixteen tons, what do you get?”
Main Street in the heart of downtown. Approx $100/night in season (in 2020). Kids stay free. Hotel has its own parking garage.
Hiking, picnicking, fishing in season (with license). Popular spot for fly-fishing. Covered pavilion with picnic tables and BBQs.
160 sites, 18 wooded acres on the Delaware River. Tent/RV waterfront sites. 2 bathhouses, laundry, camp store. Great value. Crowded, noisy fun for the river trip/hiking gang.
Old-fashioned roadside stand. Ice cream, quick eats. Burgers, pierogies, waffles and ice cream. Covered patio, picnic tables, playground.
Typical Red Roof, typical budget hotel. Rooms include Wi-Fi, microwave, mini-fridge, flat-screen TV. Bring Fido.
It’s all about the view. Just north of the town of Delaware Water Gap. Great for picnicking. For swimming, good for a quick dip. Pavilion, restrooms, boat launch. Access to McDade Trail.
Bar with great food and atmosphere nestled in the heart of Reeders. Downstairs for pub and an upstairs for the restaurant. Option to have a beer and order takeout.
170-acre crystal-clear lake with a sandy beach. Picnic tables, changing areas, bathhouse. Camping is available.
Sand Spring Lake at Hickory Run State Park. Wide, sandy beach. Crowded on weekends. 400-table picnic area, playground, disc golf. Mid-May – Mid-Sept. Small $ to park.
2,500 acres of woodlands and glacial wetlands, ancient marsh waters, in one of the state’s largest spruce forests. 2-mile trail, boardwalk system. Birding, hiking.
Established pet-friendly family resort. Cottages is set apart for complete privacy. Each cottage includes a barbecue grill, picnic table, and firepit.
This suite hotel’s strength is that it is centrally located and close to Kalahari, Camelback Mountain, and Great Wolf Lodge.
Prime trout fishing lake in a 65-acre preserve. Small manmade lake where you can walk over 1.5 miles of wilderness trail. Picnic tables and benches.
Nice Latin American joint located in the Bartonsville Plaza. Rice, beans, pernil (roasted pork), pollo guisando (chicken stew), empanadas, more, cooked home-style.
Affordably priced cottages. Clean comfortable rooms, mini-fridges, WiFi, cable TV. Just 1 mile from the Delaware Water Gap Nat’l Recreation Area and the town of Milford.
Year-round hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, biking, picnicking, camping, ice skating. 2 lakes on 3,000 acres of forested land. Cabins, tent sites.
Old-fashioned county farm fair in August. Live music, food, booze, fireworks, amusement rides, live animals, a baking contest, demo derby, and the Coal Cracker Cornhole Tournament.
300 acres, including 8 waterfalls and more than 2 miles of hiking trails, bridges, and walkways. Picnicking and grilling area, paddle boats, mini-golf, fishing.
The ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service two-time governor of Pa. Guided tours, self-guided tours of the mansion include manicured gardens.
Low-fi low-budget motel and cottages. Very dated, but does the trick. Located on the edge of Promised Land State Park, and that’s why you go here.
290-acre Prompton Lake, 26 miles of hiking trails, boat launch, picnic areas, mountain biking, fishing. Waterfalls, forest, disc golf.
2 glacial lakes and 3,000 acres on the Pocono Plateau, surrounded by Delaware State Forest. Rustic RV, tent sites, and cabin rentals.
The Dutchman Tavern is a great local bar with good food, cold beer, and friendly service. Small-town vibe, lots of locals. Pool, darts, sports on TV.
140 RV/tent forest campsites. Fire rings, grills, picnic tables. 26 sites have 50-amp electric/water. Lake trail loop, beach, boating, fishing, wildlife, birds. Budget-friendly.
Trailer parked in Salvation Army parking lot is one of the hidden gems of the Poconos. Hot dogs, burgers, cheesesteaks, fries. Ridiculously low prices.
Level, wooded campsites for RVs, tents, pop-ups. Fully-equipped cottages. Sites are spacious with picnic tables and fire pits. Pet-friendly.
Family-owned farm, bakery, and orchard in Northwest New Jersey that offers seasonal fruits & vegetables, pick-your-own apples, excellent homemade ice cream, baked goods, cider donuts.
Roadside stand serving ice cream & quick eats for over 50 years. Cones, sundaes, burgers, fries. Picnic tables and playground.
3-story 1860 Italianate Victorian mansion. Industrial Revolution opulence built by titan Asa Packer. Park at Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway lot and walk up the hill. Harry Packer Mansion next door.
In downtown’s Courthouse Square, Sat 8:00 am ’til noon, May through Nov, rain or shine. Get your morning coffee and a bite to eat.
Campground/marina w RV/tent sites & boat launch on Lake Wallenpaupack. Boat access to Wallenpaupack Creek, adjacent to hiking in the Ledgedale Natural Area.
Amusement center. Mini golf, bumper cars, driving range, batting cage, trampoline, arcade, fast-food stand. Like the Jersey Shore boardwalk without the ocean.
ESPN calls this 169-acre natural glacier lake one of the best places to fish in the Pocono Mountains. Boating, motorboats permitted. Stocked with trout.
Secluded sites for tents, cabins, and all types of RVs including big rigs. Well-maintained sites, tons of activities for kids, pet-friendly.
525-foot sand beach on Beltzville Lake. May to Sept. Concession, bathhouse, playground, picnic areas. Popular on the weekends, lots of people, loud music, and grilling going on. Get there early!
State park. Three miles of trails cross forests, wetlands, and fields. 420 acres of land. Fishing, hiking, birding, wildlife watching.
Country diner tucked away in a strip mall serving breakfast and lunch. Inexpensive, much better than it oughta be. Biscuits & sausage, Cobb salad, pancakes, French toast, omelets, and chili.
3-screens, new & classic movies in iconic movie theater. Concession stand has popcorn (with real butter!) candy, baked goods, coffee. $
Former residence (1905-1918) of the writer of American westerns Zane Grey now maintained as a museum operated by the National Park Service. Open May-Oct.
Sandy beach on 250-acre Gouldsboro Lake. Swimming, picnic tables with charcoal grills, swings for the kids. No lifeguard, swim at your own risk.
32 miles point-to-point. The trail offers miles of easy to moderate hiking, thanks to its crushed gravel surface. Not crowded. Free weekend shuttle service.
