Indian Mountain Lake (many people call it Indian Mountain Lakes) is a gated community of about 4,600 wooded acres in Albrightsville, with five lakes, beaches, two outdoor pools, tennis and basketball courts, and a 24-hour security patrol. The lakes are motor-free, so the water stays quiet for swimming, kayaks, canoes and fishing.
It sits on the line between Carbon and Monroe counties, close to the PA Turnpike Northeast Extension and I-80. Pocono Raceway is about 10 to 15 minutes away, Big Boulder and Hickory Run State Park are about 25, and historic Jim Thorpe is about 45. Staying in a whole house here means room for a big group, a hot tub or fire pit at the house, and the lakes and pools a short drive or walk away.
Lakes and beaches
The five lakes are Main Lake (also simply called Indian Mountain Lake), Twin Lake, Boulder Lake, Fishing Lake and Watauga Lake. Renters can swim at the beaches, paddle and fish with their wristbands, and in winter the association can allow ice skating on Main Lake.
Boats are oars, paddles or sails only: no motors of any kind, not even electric trolling motors. Every boat needs a current association sticker, there's no boating from sundown to sunup, and boats aren't allowed at all on Fishing Lake or Watauga Lake. Everyone wears a life jacket, and children under 13 must be with an adult. Boats stay 50 feet away from swim areas, and they come off the lakes from November 1 to April 1. Ask your host whether the house has kayaks with a sticker.
Pools, courts and the clubhouse
- Two outdoor pools and a kiddie pool. Children under 13 need someone 18 or older with them, and there are no glass bottles, alcohol, big floats, grills or loud music at the pools and beaches.
- Four tennis courts and two basketball courts.
- Playgrounds, parks, picnic areas where grills are allowed, and walking trails.
- The Administration Building and Clubhouse at 95 Highridge Road runs weekly activities, such as cornhole on Monday evenings, game night on Tuesdays and bingo on the third Friday of the month.
- There are no stores or restaurants inside the community, so stock up before you arrive.
How renting works here
Your host registers every guest and every vehicle with the association at least 2 business days before you arrive. Hosts pay a $60 short-term rental registration fee, plus $75 if the form is late. Your host may pass these costs on, so ask. Only the names and cars on the form are let in at the gate, every driver needs a valid driver's license (international licenses also need a photo ID), and the gates let in one car at a time, so no following another car through. If friends will visit during the day, your host has to register them too.
To use the lakes, beaches, pools and courts, short-term renters wear an association wristband: $10 each, up to 10 per home, and children under 6 don't need one. Unused wristbands aren't refunded and a lost one costs another $10. Wear it whenever you're at a pool, beach, court or lake, including while fishing.
Community rules for renters
From the association's 2026 Rules & Regulations. This is a summary, and your host will share the full rules.
- Quiet hours: 10 PM to 7:30 AM Sunday to Thursday, and midnight to 8 AM Friday and Saturday. Noise that goes on for 10 minutes or more counts as a violation.
- No fireworks of any kind, no hunting, and no firing of weapons.
- Speed limit 25 MPH on every road and 5 MPH in parking areas. Renters may not ride ATVs on community roads.
- Park only on the property: never on the road, the shoulder or the grass. Illegally parked cars are towed.
- Fire pits must be an approved type with a screen cover, at least 10 feet from any building, with water or a fire extinguisher within 25 feet and an adult watching. No burn barrels or burning trash, and check for burn bans.
- Trash goes out Monday in sealed bags inside lidded cans (6 cans at most), and recycling is every other Wednesday. Don't leave household trash in bins at the beaches, pools or clubhouse.
- Pets: welcome on trails, in parks and at picnic areas on a leash, but never at the pools or courts, and on the beaches only from November 1 to March 31. Pick up after your dog.
- Don't feed the wildlife, and stop feeding birds when bears are active. No camping.
Fishing
Anyone fishing needs a Pennsylvania fishing license and a visible association wristband or badge. All five lakes are catch and release, with one exception: in trout season you may keep up to 3 trout a day, 7 inches or longer, from Fishing Lake, Twin Lake and Boulder Lake. Keeping any other fish costs a $200 fine per fish. There's no fishing at the stocked lakes from April 1 until trout season opens, and no fishing from the dam, the swim areas or the bridge.
Things to do nearby
- Pocono Raceway, the "Tricky Triangle," about 10 to 15 minutes away. The 2027 NASCAR weekend is June 11 to 13, and homes book up early.
- Skirmish Paintball, one of the biggest paintball parks in the country, about 15 to 20 minutes away.
- Ski Big Boulder (about 25 minutes) and Jack Frost (about 30 minutes), or Blue Mountain Resort, about 40 minutes.
- Hike Hickory Run State Park and its famous Boulder Field, about 25 minutes away.
- Beltzville State Park: a big lake with a swimming beach, boat rentals and Wild Creek Falls, about 40 minutes away.
- Historic Jim Thorpe for shops, restaurants and the Lehigh Gorge, about 45 minutes away.
- Indoor waterparks at Kalahari (about 30 minutes) and Great Wolf Lodge (about 35 minutes), and Pocono Premium Outlets, about 30 minutes.
How far is it from Indian Mountain Lake?
Driving times from the middle of Indian Mountain Lake, from map routes without traffic. Allow extra time on summer, race and ski weekends.
- Pocono Raceway: about 10 to 15 minutes (7 miles)
- Skirmish Paintball: about 15 to 20 minutes (5 miles)
- Hickory Run State Park: about 25 minutes (9 miles)
- Big Boulder: about 25 minutes (11 miles)
- Lake Harmony: about 25 minutes (11 miles)
- Jack Frost: about 30 minutes (15 miles)
- Kalahari Resorts: about 30 minutes (13 miles)
- Pocono Premium Outlets: about 30 minutes (14 miles)
- Great Wolf Lodge: about 35 minutes (16 miles)
- Camelback Resort: about 35 minutes (17 miles)
- Mount Airy Casino Resort: about 40 minutes (17 miles)
- Blue Mountain Resort: about 40 minutes (20 miles)
- Beltzville State Park: about 40 to 45 minutes (17 miles)
- Jim Thorpe: about 45 minutes (21 miles)
- Delaware Water Gap: about 45 minutes (25 miles)
- Lehigh Gorge State Park (Glen Onoko): about 55 minutes (22 miles)
Indian Mountain Lake by season
- Summer: the pools and beaches are the place to be, with kayaks and canoes on the motor-free lakes. Race fans: the NASCAR weekend at Pocono Raceway is June 11 to 13, 2027, about 10 to 15 minutes away. The association holds a kids' fishing derby in early June.
- Fall: color in the Poconos typically peaks in early to mid October, and the woods around the lakes turn gold. Hike Hickory Run's trails or spend a day in Jim Thorpe. Boats come off the lakes by November 1.
- Winter: Big Boulder and Jack Frost are about half an hour away, and the ski season usually runs from December into March. With the association's written permission, Main Lake can be used for ice skating. On stormy days, Kalahari and Great Wolf Lodge's indoor waterparks are about 30 to 35 minutes away.
- Spring: Pennsylvania's trout season opens in early April, and you can keep a few trout from Fishing, Twin and Boulder lakes in season. It's a quiet, good-value time for a getaway, and dogs can still use the beaches through March.
Good to know before you book
Indian Mountain Lake spreads across four townships in two counties: Penn Forest in Carbon County, and Tunkhannock, Chestnuthill and Polk in Monroe County. Rental homes need a yearly short-term rental permit from the association and a short-term rental permit from their township, and the township permit sets the home's maximum number of guests. Ask your host which township the home is in, and go by the guest limit on its listing.
- Penn Forest Township: a yearly short-term rental license, up to an average of 2 people per bedroom plus 4 overnight, and day guests up to 75% of that. All parking on the property, no RV, camper or tent stays, and outdoor fires out by midnight.
- Tunkhannock Township: up to 2 people per bedroom plus 4 overnight, and day visitors up to half that number. Park on the property only, and no fireworks.
- 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: Penn Forest Township short-term rentals · Penn Forest Township Ordinance 2 of 2021 · Tunkhannock Township Ordinance 2019-01
