A big house in the woods with a hot tub, a kitchen for brunch and a bed for everyone makes the Poconos an easy bachelorette weekend, about 2 hours from New York City and Philadelphia. Add a winery afternoon, a spa morning or a day of paintball or rafting, and you have the whole weekend planned.
One thing to know before you book: these are homes in residential lake communities, not party venues. Townships cap the number of guests, and the communities set quiet hours and hand out fines. Read the house rules below, tell the host honestly what the weekend is, and you'll find a host who's glad to have you.
House rules for party groups (read this first)
A rental house is someone's home in a neighborhood, not an event space. Each township licenses the home, caps how many people can stay and fines the owner for problems, and most lake communities add their own quiet hours and fines. Hosts can decline any booking request, and many will say no to a group that sounds like a party. The rules below are what to plan around.
- Age: in Tobyhanna Township (Pocono Pines, Pocono Lake, Pocono Summit, Blakeslee and part of Emerald Lakes) the person who signs the rental agreement must be at least 25. In Pocono Township (Tannersville and the Camelback area) it's 21. Many hosts set a minimum age of their own, so ask.
- Guest limit: set by the home's permit, based on bedrooms. Tobyhanna Township allows 2 people per bedroom plus 2 and counts everyone. Tunkhannock (Long Pond), Kidder (Lake Harmony) and Penn Forest (Albrightsville) allow 2 per bedroom plus 4. Only the people on your request stay overnight.
- Visitors: friends who drop by count too. Tunkhannock Township caps day guests at half the overnight limit, and Penn Forest and Pocono townships at 75%. Some lake communities admit only guests registered in advance, so clear any visitor with the host first.
- No events: no showers, receptions or parties with outside guests. Lehman Township (Bushkill area), for example, allows overnight lodging only, with no weddings, conferences or events. For a bigger celebration dinner, book a restaurant.
- Quiet hours and music: keep the music inside and low at night. Emerald Lakes' quiet time is 10 PM to 8 AM, with noise fines from $250. Towamensing Trails' quiet hours run 11 PM to 7:30 AM and are cited with no warning. Arrowhead Lake's start at 9 PM Sunday to Thursday. Paupack Township bans loud music after 10 PM.
- No fireworks or floating lanterns. Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock and Kidder townships ban them, and so do the lake communities; Emerald Lakes fines $750.
- Parking: on the property only, never on the street or the lawn. Kidder Township homes post the maximum number of vehicles inside the front door. Carpool, and ask the host how many cars fit.
- Be upfront: say it's a bachelorette (or bachelor) weekend, how many of you are coming and how old you are. A host who knows the plan can tell you exactly what's allowed.
Sources: Tobyhanna Township Chapter 114, Short-Term Rentals · Pocono Township Chapter 302, Transient Dwelling Use · Tunkhannock Township Ordinance 2019-01 · Kidder Township Ordinance 2021-187 · Penn Forest Township short-term rentals · Lehman Township short-term rentals · Paupack Township STR ordinance (2024 amendment)
Wineries, breweries and a distillery
Hours change with the seasons, so check before you go, and book a driver or a ride: nobody should drive back to the house after a tasting. You must be 21 to drink in Pennsylvania.
- Barley Creek Brewing Co., 1774 Sullivan Trail, Tannersville (570-629-9399): a brewpub that brews beer and distills spirits on site, with brewery tours.
- Pocono Brewery Company, 2092 Route 611, Swiftwater (570-839-1500): craft beer, wine and spirits with pizza and made-from-scratch food, live music on some nights and a large-party reservation option. Closed Tuesdays.
- Mountain View Vineyard, 2332 Walters Rd, Stroudsburg ((570) 619-0053): a winery with an indoor bistro and covered porch. Reservations have a 2-hour limit, with separate rules for larger parties, and Saturday is the late night (until 9 PM in fall 2026).
- Big Creek Vineyard, 120 Keller Road, Kunkletown (610-681-3959): open every afternoon from noon, with outdoor seating and a family-style wine and antipasto experience for groups.
- Cellar Beast: a tasting room inside The Y on Broadway hotel in Jim Thorpe (Wednesday to Sunday) and the main winehouse in Andreas (Friday to Sunday). Groups of 10 or more can ask about a private event.
- Hairy Guys Brewing, 204 Center Street, Jim Thorpe ((610) 714-7441): small-batch craft beer, Wednesday to Sunday.
- Bright Path Brewing, 1215 North St, Jim Thorpe: a craft brewery taproom, Thursday to Sunday.
Sources: Barley Creek Brewing Co. · Pocono Brewery Company · Mountain View Vineyard · Big Creek Vineyard · Cellar Beast · Hairy Guys Brewing · Bright Path Brewing
A spa morning
- Spa Kalahari & Salon, Pocono Manor (570-216-5493): massages, facials, nails and hair, open to people who aren't staying at the resort. Its Hydro Escape area (steam room, sauna and whirlpool) is for ages 18 and up.
- The Spa at Mount Airy, Mount Pocono (570-243-5230): massages, facials, nails and hair. Every guest must be 21 or older, and a 20% gratuity is added.
- Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, 300 Commerce Blvd, Stroudsburg (570-664-7003): massages and facials, open to the public, with online booking and walk-ins.
- For a group, book early and ask whether they can schedule several of you at the same time.
Sources: Spa Kalahari & Salon · The Spa at Mount Airy · Hand & Stone Stroudsburg
Daytime adventures
- Skirmish Paintball, Albrightsville: open all year, for players 10 and up. Bachelor parties need at least 10 pre-registered players, and Skirmish says bachelorette parties are welcome too. Book online or call 1-800-754-7647.
- Whitewater rafting near Jim Thorpe: Pocono Whitewater runs bachelor and bachelorette party trips, perks for group leaders of 10 or more, and combined rafting-and-paintball days. See our whitewater rafting guide for trips and ages.
- Kalahari, Pocono Manor: buy waterpark day passes online (the front desk can stop selling on busy days), then head to the Grotto Swim-Up Bar, which is 21+.
- Mount Airy Casino Resort, Mount Pocono: a casino, poker room, sportsbook, restaurants and bars. The whole resort is 21+, so everyone needs ID.
Sources: Skirmish bachelor parties · Pocono Whitewater groups · Kalahari waterpark day passes · Mount Airy Casino Resort
Planning a bachelor party instead
Everything above works for the groom's weekend too, and the house rules are the same. Skirmish's bachelor package is the classic: with at least 10 pre-registered players, the groom gets 1,000 free paintballs, a Skirmish T-shirt, an upgraded rental marker for the day and a pass to come back. Pocono Whitewater pairs a day on the Lehigh River with a day of paintball, Mount Airy adds a casino night and an 18-hole golf course, and in winter Jack Frost and Big Boulder make it a ski weekend.
Sources: Skirmish bachelor parties · Pocono Whitewater
Keeping the cost down
- Split one house instead of several hotel rooms. One person sends the request and signs the agreement, so settle who pays what in the group chat before anyone commits.
- Ask the host for the full total up front: nightly rate, cleaning fee, lodging tax, any security deposit and any community amenity or registration fees, which some lake communities charge per person.
- Stock up on the way in. There's no big supermarket in Lake Harmony, Blakeslee, Albrightsville, Pocono Lake or Pocono Pines; Route 940 in Mount Pocono has ShopRite, Weis Markets and a Walmart Supercenter, and the state liquor store is in Pocono Village Mall next to ShopRite.
- Cook brunch and one big dinner at the house, and save restaurant money for the night out.
- Pick one paid activity per day; hiking, the hot tub and game night cost nothing.
