Fun Summer Things to Do in the Poconos
By: Kristina Malmstrom
1. Put Your Mind to the Test!
Looking for Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos? Beat the heat and play an indoor escape game at Trap Door Escape Room! Escape rooms are the latest trending activity. Players have to use clues within the room to solve puzzles to complete a mission or escape. Trap Door Escape Room is known as a leading innovator in the field, most recently with the introduction of our Escape Stream service.
Trap Door Escape Room Poconos
The Poconos Escape Room by Trap Door is number one on our list of Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos! This location is all about the impact of humanity, from a Zombie Virus Outbreak to Extreme Weather, we have brought this upon ourselves. Bartonsville is currently hosting 7 unique escape room experiences. Check out our Poconos Page Here to find the best fit for you and your crew!
Also of note at this location is F5 Tornado! In 2021, this game won the title of Best Immersive Experience in the world. In F5 Tornado Escape, you’ll have to seek shelter from an approaching tornado. This game is great for families with children, and features a range of mental and physical puzzles and obstacles.
Puzzles and Corks
2. Cool off at a Waterpark
Some more Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos to beat the summer heat is refreshing yourself at a waterpark. These fun rides are exciting for the whole family, with options for everyone from kids to adults. Most waterparks feature a range of mild to wild rides, so thrill-seekers and relaxation-lovers alike can find ways to cool off. We’ve even curated our top picks of waterparks in the area:
Camelback
Camelback features both an outdoor and indoor waterpark, and was voted the #1 indoor waterpark in the USA. They boast having the most family friendly park in the area, with a range of slides and attractions to provide fun for everyone. They even offer lodging on site for your convenience.
Kalahari Resorts
Kalahari Resort offers a number of activities but one of the top is their waterparks! In the event of inclement weather, you’ll be happy to know their park features the largest indoor waterpark in the USA. Their park has fun activities and attractions for all ages, with a become-a-mermaid station and bodyboarding for kids and jacuzzis and swim up bars for adults, and a whole range of slides in between!
Number three on our list of Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos is horseback rides. Going for a trail ride is a fun, relaxing way to connect with nature while still getting some exercise in. Most trail rides take you through wooded mountains, over trickling creeks, and across open meadows in a beautiful tour of the forests of the Pocono Mountains.
There are even a variety of stables that offer different packages depending on what you’re looking for. Typically, you can either go for an hour, a half day, or a full day, with the last two usually including a break for lunch. Depending on how much time you have, this is a fun but meditative activity that the whole family will enjoy.
Daisy Field Farm
Daisy Field Farm: This farm located near White Haven offers trail rides year round for all families! They even have wagon and carriage rides, just make sure you schedule your appointment in advance!
Dear Path Riding Stable
Deer Path Riding Stable: Also located in White Haven, they offer one hour trail rides for families!
The Ranch at Pocono Manor
The Ranch at Pocono Manor: More advanced riders might want to try some of these different offerings- in addition to a 1 hour trail ride, they also offer 90-minute waterfall rides and a half day adventure!
4. Try a Ziplining Adventure
Thrill seekers will want to try this fun summer thing to do Poconos! Zip lining is an experience where you fly down a cable suspended by a special halter and pulleys. It’s typically done through beautiful sceneries, where participants are able to admire their surroundings on the way down, or as part of a ropes or adventure course.
There are several places in the area that host ziplining, where you get to admire the beauty of the nature on the way down. Here are just a few companies that offer ziplining in the Poconos:
Camelback Mountain Adventures
Camelback Mountain Adventures: Soar down PA’s longest Zip-Flyer here! From the summit of Camelback Mountain. You can either do this alone or with your bestie beside you!
Pocono Zip Racer
Kittatinny Canoes
Kittatinny Canoes: The only zipline on the Delaware River, fly 100 feet above the ground over treetops as you take in a unique view of the water!
5. Explore the Delaware River
There are many ways to have fun on the Delaware River, so you have to try at least one! These Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos will leave you refreshed and wet, but also in awe of nature. It’s up to you whether you kayak, canoe, or tube down the river for a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Of course, thrill seekers will want to white water raft instead for a wild adventure.
No matter your preference of flotation device, you’re sure to have a fun splash down the Delaware River with any of these options! Here are some places you can get your experience started:
Adventure Sports
Adventure Sports : This location is conveniently located right on the edge of Pennsylvania and New Jersey for residents of either state. You even get to choose whether you canoe, raft, or kayak, and where you would like to start and end your adventure along the Delaware River.
Chamberlain Canoes
Chamberlain Canoes: Despite their name, they offer “old town” canoes, kayaks, and tubes for you to venture down the Delaware in!
Jim Thorpe River Adventures
Jim Thorpe River Adventures : This is a good place for thrill seekers to start for an introduction to white water rafting! They offer a variety of skill levels, including a course for beginners. You can also try inflatable kayaks!
White Water Challenges
White Water Challengers : Another company that specializes in white water rafting, their Poconos course is considered the beginner level, and then you can upgrade to their locations in New York!
6. Shop Local Produce
The Poconos is filled with farms, making it ripe for Farmers Markets and Pick-your-own produce fields (pun intended)! When you shop at these places, not only are you supporting local businesses, but also you’re getting the best tasting fruit and vegetables!
These tasty produce items have traveled directly from the field to your table, tasting better than anything you could buy in a store, earning it a place on our list of Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos. Plus, if you’re picking it yourself, there’s the extra satisfaction that comes with handling your food yourself.
Coutts Berry Farm/Paupack Blueberry Farm
Coutts Berry Farm/Paupack Blueberry Farm: This pick-your-own blueberry farm in Paupack even offers homemade baked goods!
Monroe Farmers Market
Monroe Farmers Market: Stop by Courthouse Square in Stroudsburg Saturday mornings for fresh produce, meats, flowers, preserves, breads, and more!
Gould's Produce and Farm Market
Gould’s Produce and Farm Market: Open daily in Brodheadsville, they offer fresh strawberries, peas, sweet corn, string beans, cucumbers, peaches, and more!
7. Try Paintballing
More Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos for thrill seekers- grab a group of friends and go paintballing! For those that don’t know, paintball is a competitive team game where you remove opponents from the playing field by shooting them with paint-filled capsules.
There’s different types of games with varying missions or objectives to complete, but this is the very basics of the game. If you’re looking to play, try one of these locations for paintball in the Poconos:
Skirmish Paintball
Skirmish Paintball: Try out one of their 50 paintball courses, all of which feature a variety of obstacles and forts. They welcome players of all skill levels, and make sure to check out their calendar to find their next special event!
Pocono Mountain Paintball
Pocono Mountain Paintball: Located right near Jim Thorpe, this family owned and operated site has fields filled with both natural (such as streams) and man-made obstacles. Plus, they even have a free BBQ at the end of the day!
8. Activities on the Lake
There’s a reason summer camps are frequently pictured with a lake- everyone loves partaking in leisure water activities! Whether boating, paddleboarding, or just a gentle swim appeals to you, you’re bound to find an activity that you enjoy. Lake Wallenpaupack is the popular lake in the Pocono Mountains, so we’ve gathered several different companies that cater to this area:
Pine Crest Marina
Pine Crest Marina: This marina is devoted to helping their guests create happy lifetime memories with their boat, kayak, paddle board, and pedal boat rentals.
Pocono Action Sports at Lighthouse Harbor Marina
Pocono Action Sports at Lighthouse Harbor Marina: This will appeal to those who love thrills and speed! With their powerboat and jet ski rentals, you’ll be flying across the surface of the lake in no time. They even offer kneeboards and tubes to accompany their boats!
Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tour and Boat Rentals
Wallenpaupack Scenic Boat Tour and Boat Rentals: Their predominant activity is their 1-hour scenic boat tour, especially for those who prefer a more leisurely way of interacting with the lake. The tour covers the history of the area while you take in the stunning sights. They also have pontoon boats, kayaks, and paddle boards available to rent.
9. Camp for a Weekend
For outdoor lovers, camping and the like are Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos to connect with nature. Today, there’s a multitude of ways to camp, from survivalist to glamping, so there’s no excuse to avoid even trying this great activity!
Nature is refreshing, and even better if you’re able to put away your phone and laptop to truly enjoy it. Did you know there’s even different ways to travel to your campground? Here are two of our favorites:
Via Raft/Canoe/Kayak
A fun way to combine two items on this list is to raft, kayak, or canoe to your campground! The trip is typically fully arranged by the company, and you’d be traveling with a guide to help you along the river as well as pitch your campsite. Two local places that offer this are Kittatinny Canoes and Lander’s River Trips.
Via Horse
Again, combining two items on this list, but another exciting way to camp is to pair it with a trail ride on horseback! This trip usually has you ride out through the mountains and forests to the campsite, where you would stay until you return. This is another more intense and engaging way of connecting with nature.
10. We All Scream for Ice Cream!
What better way to end your day of Fun Summer Things to do in the Poconos than with a cool scoop or two of your favorite ice cream? Whether chocolate or vanilla, sprinkles or sauce, toppings or plain, you can’t go wrong! It’s the perfect end to an amazing day before you call it quits to drive home. Here are some of our picks:
Sweet Creams Cafe : This family owned and operated store features over fifteen flavors of homemade ice cream daily, plus fresh baked desserts!
Jimmy’s Ice Cream: Another family owned and operated business, they offer both hard and soft ice cream, hard and soft yogurt, Italian ice, and gelato! You also have to try their homemade waffle cones and waffles!
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Mentioned Experiences
Travel down the rabbit hole and experience a brand new world that just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser in our asylum escape room.
$60 Per Player
You have 120 minutes to escape the theme at $60 per person plus tax. This is the largest escape room in the country, spanning upwards of over 4,000 square feet of playing space each! Large Private Groups are welcome, as these experiences allow player dispersement with ease. All bookings for this asylum escape room are private.
A Tornado is heading straight for Todd Farms. Get to the Barn and strap into the water main pipes to ride out the storm.
$39.99 Per Player
You have 60 minutes to escape the theme at $39.99 per person plus tax. At a minimum of 1,000 square feet of playing space, these themes are sure to provide a thrilling adventure. 3X Larger than the average Escape Room Experience. All bookings are private.
Trap Door Escape Company
Trap Door Escape Room has 4 locations: 3180 Route 611 in Bartonsville, PA in the Poconos; 60 White St. in Red Bank, NJ; 34A Speedwell Ave. in Morristown, NJ: and 77 Wind Creek Blvd in Bethlehem, PA. The Red Bank location was the first of the 4 locations, opening in the fall of 2015. Morristown followed in the summer of 2017, and Bartonsville opened during the holiday season of 2018. Wind Creek is currently undergoing construction and will be opening in September 2022.
History
The idea came to Tone Purzycki back in 2011 after he wrote a screenplay that developed into a live-streaming game. The game revolved around an actor trapped in a situation and the audience had to solve puzzles to figure out where he was trapped. The “Find Me Event” had more than 1,000 people playing over the course of several hours. After the success of several other streaming events, the idea of an escape room was born.
Location
Each location has different rooms from which to choose. Our Morristown location is home to Day of the Dead, Witch Hunt, and The Greatest Freakshow. In Bartonsville, you’ll find Cure Z, F5 Tornado Escape, Fear the Bogeyman, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, We’re All Mad Here, and Prisoner Z. In Red Bank we currently have Everest – our first 2 story escape room. Ripper of London is also available at this location. Our pirate themed games will soon be open at Wind Creek.
Trap Door Escape Room also offers team building, streaming events, and birthday parties. For more information on any of our games, prices, and locations, explore our website or call 570-234-3366