The Poconos have more than 100 miles of public snowmobile trails, most of them in Delaware State Forest and the state parks. Hickory Run and the Lehigh Gorge are close to Lake Harmony, Albrightsville and Blakeslee, and Tobyhanna State Park is near Pocono Pines and Pocono Lake.
Know this before you plan: the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau says no one currently rents snowmobiles or runs public snowmobile tours in the Poconos. You need your own sled, registered and insured. And the trails open only after deer season ends in December, and only when there's enough snow.
Where to ride
- Hickory Run State Park: 21 miles of designated trails, marked with orange blazes.
- Lehigh Gorge State Park: 15 miles of the Lehigh Gorge Trail from White Haven to Penn Haven Junction, with parking at the White Haven and Rockport access areas.
- Tobyhanna State Park: a one-way, 5.1-mile loop that runs counterclockwise on the Lakeside Trail, starting at Lot 1 (restrooms, parking and room to unload).
- Promised Land State Park: more than 23 miles of trails on park and Delaware State Forest land, marked with orange diamonds. Maps are at the park office.
- Delaware State Forest (Pike and Monroe counties): nearly 115 miles of trails, about 70 of them groomed, in the Promised Land, Edgemere, Dixon Miller and Snow Hill areas. Helmets are required, and maps come from the Swiftwater district office.
- Gouldsboro, Big Pocono and Beltzville state parks don't list snowmobile trails. Many lake communities ban snowmobiles on their roads, so ask your host and plan to trailer your sled to a trailhead.
Sources: Hickory Run State Park: winter · Lehigh Gorge State Park: winter · Tobyhanna State Park: winter · Promised Land State Park: winter · Delaware State Forest: snowmobiling
When the trails open
- State park trails open the day after the last deer season in December and run through April 1, weather permitting. State forest trails open the day after the regular or extended rifle deer season and close by April 1.
- The 2026 regular rifle deer season runs November 28 to December 13, 2026. DCNR hadn't posted the 2026-27 trail opening date as of November 14; last season state forest trails opened December 14, 2025.
- Opening also depends on snow. DCNR posts trail conditions three times a week in season, and the Pennsylvania State Snowmobile Association has a conditions page.
Sources: DCNR: trails in state parks · DCNR: trails in state forests · PA Game Commission: 2026-27 seasons
Registration, insurance and age rules
- Snowmobiles ridden in Pennsylvania must be registered with DCNR; general registration is $20 for two years. Visitors with a valid registration from their home state are exempt.
- You need liability insurance to ride anywhere you don't own or lease, and you must carry the registration certificate and proof of insurance.
- No one under 10 may drive a snowmobile on public land. Riders 10 to 15 need a safety certificate to ride anywhere but their parents' property.
Sources: DCNR: register or title a snowmobile · DCNR: snowmobiling
No sled? Other ways to get out
- With no snowmobile rentals in the Poconos, the visitors bureau points people to guided ATV and UTV tours instead (see our ATV tours guide).
- The same trails are great for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing when there's snow.
- Ask your host about trailer parking before you arrive: many homes have small driveways and community rules about trailers.
