8 Great Road Trips to Take in The Poconos

The Poconos is one of those regions where you do not need a packed itinerary to justify getting in the car. Some of the best drives follow the Delaware River, cut through long stretches of state forest, skirt lakes, or connect small mountain towns by roads that are often more interesting than the destination at the end. The routes below range from short scenic drives to longer half-day road trips, with plenty of worthwhile stops along the way. Most can also be adjusted for the season and how much time you have. Some favor overlooks and trails, while others lean toward small towns or quiet stretches of road.

The Bushkill Falls. US 209 runs north out of Delaware Water Gap toward Milford through the Pennsylvania side of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, staying close to the Delaware River for much of the route. The drive passes wooded slopes, old farm fields, river access points, and small communities including Bushkill and Dingmans Ferry.

The best stops come naturally along the route. Bushkill Falls sits just off US 209, while Raymondskill Falls lies farther north near Milford. Dingmans Falls, near Dingmans Ferry, has been closed to all visitors since May 2025 for bridge replacement and trail work, so check its status with the National Park Service before planning a stop. Several river access areas also make it easy to stop without turning the drive into a full hiking trip. Milford is a good endpoint for lunch or a walk through town before heading back.

This route is especially good in fall, when the river corridor and surrounding hills change color, but it is worth checking park conditions after storms or in winter because some roads and trails can close.

View of Mt. Minsi from the top of Mount Tammany near the Delaware Water Gap. PA 611 follows the Delaware River north from Portland toward Delaware Water Gap, with Kittatinny Ridge rising beside the roadway as you get closer to the gorge. Arrow Island, Point of Gap, and Resort Point overlooks provide several places to pull over and see the river, surrounding slopes, and the gap from different angles.

You do not need several stops to make this trip interesting. Choose an overlook or two, then carry on to Delaware Water Gap, where Mount Minsi marks the Pennsylvania side of the gorge. The town also puts you close to the southern end of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area if you want to spend more time in the area.

For a longer outing, continue north on US 209, the main north-south road through the Pennsylvania side of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Sunset Over Lake Wallenpaupack – Image Credit Barbara MacDonald via Shutterstock From Marshalls Creek, PA 402 heads north through Delaware State Forest toward Lake Wallenpaupack, leaving the busier East Stroudsburg area for a long stretch of forest road bordered by wetlands, small lakes, and thick woodland.

Peck’s Pond is an easy stop along the way. The 315-acre pond sits just off PA 402 and is surrounded by wetlands, while the Tarkill Forest Demonstration Area lies farther north. From there, continue toward US 6, where the forest begins to give way to the Lake Wallenpaupack area.

What makes this route stand out is how little interrupts the forested stretch between Marshalls Creek and the lake. For much of the drive, the road stays inside Delaware State Forest rather than passing through one town after another.

Wilderness Trail to Wildlife Lookout on Lower Lake at Promised Land State Park in Pennsylvania. Mountainhome, Canadensis, Skytop, Promised Land State Park, and Tafton all fall along this PA 390 trip through the central Poconos. The road crosses the Pocono Plateau, with lakes, wooded hills, and large sections of Delaware State Forest shaping much of the route.

Skytop gives you one of the first clear changes in the landscape, with more open views around the resort area before the road returns to forest. Farther north, Promised Land State Park sits about 1,800 feet above sea level and covers roughly 3,000 acres, with two lakes and several trailheads close to PA 390.

Keep following PA 390 past the park toward Tafton, where the road meets the Lake Wallenpaupack area. This route gives you a good cross-section of the central Poconos without relying on one major attraction to carry the trip.

Colorful buildings on Main Street in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Editorial credit: Nina Alizada / Shutterstock.com PA 191 covers about 50 miles between Stroudsburg and Honesdale, passing through Analomink, Paradise Valley, Cresco, Mountainhome, Newfoundland, and Hamlin along the way. It is one of the longer north-south drives in the Poconos and is officially listed among the region’s scenic routes.

The southern section climbs away from Stroudsburg through the Brodhead Creek valley toward Cresco and Mountainhome, where the road reaches higher ground before continuing into Pike and Wayne counties. Near Newfoundland and Hamlin, the terrain becomes more open, with farms and wider valley views replacing some of the tighter mountain sections.

By the time PA 191 reaches Honesdale, the tighter terrain around Stroudsburg and Cresco has given way to the broader valleys of Wayne County. The road meets US 6 near town, with the Lackawaxen River close by. Allow around 1 hour 20 minutes without stops.

Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, in Autumn Colors From Lake Harmony, PA 903 carries you south toward Jim Thorpe through the western Poconos, with the terrain gradually becoming steeper as you get closer to the Lehigh Gorge. Hickory Run State Park sits near the northern part of the route, but you do not have to turn this into a full park day. Even staying on the road gives you a sense of how quickly this side of the Poconos shifts between upland plateau and the narrower river corridor farther south.

As PA 903 approaches Jim Thorpe, the Lehigh River and the walls of Lehigh Gorge begin to shape the landscape more noticeably. The road crosses the river near the southern end of Lehigh Gorge State Park before reaching town, where US 209 provides the connection into central Jim Thorpe. The drive may take about an hour but can be longer if you stop at Hickory Run or pull off near the gorge.

Big Pocono State Park view. PA 715 gives you a gradual climb from Brodheadsville toward Tannersville, passing McMichaels and Reeders before reaching the base of Camelback Mountain. The road gains elevation steadily, so the southern end feels broader and more settled before the hills begin closing in farther north.

Near Tannersville, you can leave PA 715 for the road up to Big Pocono State Park. The climb is steep, but at the summit a paved 1.4-mile loop circles Camelback Mountain with viewpoints that can reach into New Jersey and New York on a clear day. The access road closes seasonally, and trailers are not recommended because of the grade.

Back on PA 715, Tannersville is only a short distance away, giving the trip a practical finish near Route 611 and I-80.

Autumn at Boulder Field, a National Natural Landmark located at Hickory Run State Park in Pennsylvania. PA 534 makes this a shorter, more compact trip than some of the longer north-south routes. Begin inside Hickory Run State Park, where the road crosses the western foothills of the Poconos and passes close to trailheads, trout streams, and the turnoff for Boulder Field, a 16-acre National Natural Landmark formed during the last Ice Age.

Continue east on PA 534 before working south toward Beltzville State Park near Lehighton. The change is gradual but noticeable. The higher, rockier terrain around Hickory Run gives way to the lower southern foothills around Pohopoco Creek and Beltzville Lake.

If you want one substantial stop, make it Boulder Field rather than trying to fit several short detours into the day. From there, the rest of the trip is best spent following the road south and letting the landscape change on the approach to Beltzville.

The Poconos work especially well for road trips because the landscape can change quickly between one part of the region and the next. A route along the Delaware River feels completely different from a climb toward Camelback Mountain or a drive through the higher ground around Hickory Run. That variety means even a relatively short trip can feel complete without needing to cover huge distances. The best approach is to choose one route and leave enough time for a few stops.