Brier Crest Woods Rentals: Lake, Rules & Homes in Blakeslee, PA

Lake Shangri-la and the beach

From the Brier Crest Woods association's published rules:

• Lake Shangri-la is catch and release: keeping any fish other than trout is prohibited.
• No gasoline motors. Boats must be non-powered or use electric trolling motors of 3 hp or less, and every boat, kayak and paddleboard needs a current community sticker. Enter the lake only at the beach or the boat launch across from it, and no floats bigger than a two-person float.
• There must be a life jacket for every passenger, children 12 and under must wear one, and an emergency whistle is required.
• Boat rack space is $10 a season (as posted Nov 2026); racks open April 1 and must be cleared by October 31.
• The beach is for members, their guests and renters with current-year badges, worn visibly. Swimming without a lifeguard is at your own risk, children under 12 need an adult, and no glass is allowed.

Brier Crest Woods rental rules

• Every rental home must be registered with Tunkhannock Township first. The owner then registers each stay online at least 24 hours before arrival, with the guest counts and every vehicle's make, model and plate.
• Minimum 2 nights, maximum 14. Single nights aren't allowed. The registration fee is $60 per rental (as posted Nov 2026).
• Security drops car tags and a rental rules sheet in the home's mailbox. Cars need tags to drive to the beach or drop off trash.
• Renters can't use the owner's badges. Extra or replacement rental wristbands are $5 each at the office.
• Quiet hours are 11 PM to 8 AM, with no warnings. No open outdoor fires except the beach-area fire pit; covered fire devices with a spark arrestor are allowed with water within 25 feet. Fines start at $100.
• Dumpsters are open 7 AM to 8 PM daily (Wednesdays from 11 AM), and you need a beach badge to drop trash.

Tunkhannock Township short-term rental rules

• A yearly short-term rental permit for each home, issued to the owner, with inspections at renewal.
• Occupancy: 2 people per bedroom plus 4 overnight (for example, 3 bedrooms = 10). Day guests up to half the overnight maximum.
• Parking on the property only, not in the street right-of-way or on lawns. No RVs, tents or outdoor sleeping, no fireworks or floating lanterns, and no subleasing.
• A notice inside the front door lists the local contact, the 911 address, the guest limits and trash day.
• Every host on our site is responsible for the home's township short-term rental permit. Your host will confirm house rules, occupancy limits and any community passes before you arrive.

Sources: Tunkhannock Township forms · Ordinance 2019-01, Short-Term Rental Ordinance · Tunkhannock permit guide for owners · Permit rules by township

Things to do near Brier Crest Woods

• Pocono Raceway, about 8 minutes away. See our Pocono Raceway guide for race weekends and Elements festival dates.
• Big Boulder (about 12 minutes) and Jack Frost (about 20): sister ski areas on the Epic Pass.
• Hickory Run State Park, about 15 minutes: the Boulder Field, Hawk Falls and the Sand Spring Lake beach.
• Skirmish Paintball, about 17 minutes; Lake Harmony's lakeside restaurants, about 15.
• Kalahari, about 30 minutes; Jim Thorpe and Camelback, about 35.

Sources: DCNR: Hickory Run State Park

Restaurants near Brier Crest Woods

From the restaurant list our hosts hand to guests:

• Murphy's Loft, 5102 Route 115, Blakeslee (570-646-2813): pub food and homestyle dinners in a 1934 log-cabin hunting lodge, open daily from 11 AM (9 AM on weekends).
• Nick's Lake House, 20 South Lake Drive, Lake Harmony: a big lakeside deck, two bars and live music in summer.
• Boulder View Tavern, 123 Lake Harmony Road, overlooking Big Boulder Lake.
• Jubilee Restaurant & Pub in the Pines, 2067 Route 940, Pocono Pines (570-646-2377): family-run for more than five decades, breakfast 7 AM to 2 PM daily; closed Mondays.

Brier Crest Woods by season

• Winter: skiing at Big Boulder and Jack Frost, usually December into March. Boats must be off the racks by October 31.
• Spring: boat racks open April 1, and trout season opens in early April.
• Summer: the Lake Shangri-la beach, the NASCAR weekend at Pocono Raceway (June 11 to 13, 2027) and the Elements festival there (August 6 to 8, 2027, 18+).
• Fall: color usually peaks in early to mid October; Hickory Run and the Lehigh Gorge are at their best.

Groceries, urgent care and the ER

• The nearest supermarkets are about 30 minutes away: Weis Markets, 2836 Route 611, Tannersville, and ShopRite of Mt Pocono, 89 State Route 940, Mount Pocono. GIANT, 1241 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East, Lehighton (with a pharmacy and gas station), is about 35 minutes.
• Urgent care, about 30 to 35 minutes away and open every day 8 AM to 8 PM: JeffExpress Urgent Care–Tobyhanna, 100 Community Drive ((570) 839-1400), or JeffExpress Urgent Care–Lehighton, 1205 Blakeslee Boulevard Drive East ((484) 224-9300).
• Nearest emergency room: Lehigh Valley Hospital–Pocono Creek, 1328 Golden Slipper Road, Bartonsville (open 24/7), about 35 minutes. In an emergency, call 911.

Sources: JeffExpress Urgent Care–Tobyhanna · LVH–Pocono Creek ER · GIANT Lehighton

How far is Brier Crest Woods from Pocono Raceway and NYC?

Drive times from the community office on map routes, without traffic:

• Pocono Raceway: about 8 minutes. Big Boulder: about 12. Hickory Run State Park: about 15. Skirmish Paintball: about 17.
• Jack Frost and Lake Naomi: about 20 minutes. Emerald Lakes: about 25. Kalahari and Mount Pocono: about 30.
• Jim Thorpe and Camelback: about 35 minutes. Stroudsburg: about 40. Scranton: about 1 hour.
• Philadelphia: about 1 hour 55 minutes (93 miles). New York City (Times Square): about 2 hours 20 minutes (104 miles).

Getting to Brier Crest Woods

• By car: I-80 Exit 284 (PA 115, Blakeslee), or the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Pocono interchange (95), which meets I-80 at Exit 277 (PA 940).
• By bus: the nearest Martz Trailways stop from New York is Mount Pocono (2 Fork Street), about 30 minutes away, so plan on a car.