The Poconos cover a lot of ground, and where you stay decides how much of your trip is spent in the car. A home in Lake Harmony puts Big Boulder five minutes away. A home in Emerald Lakes is about 10 to 15 minutes from Kalahari's indoor waterpark. Penn Estates is close to Stroudsburg and the Delaware Water Gap. Pick the area first, then the house.
Below is every area where our hosts have homes, with who each one suits best, what renters can use, and how far the big draws are. All drive times are from map routes without traffic, so allow extra time on summer, ski and race weekends.
Quick picks
- Ski trip: Lake Harmony (Big Boulder about 5 minutes, Jack Frost about 15) or Blakeslee (both about 10 minutes).
- Indoor waterparks with kids: Emerald Lakes (Kalahari about 10 to 15 minutes, Camelback about 20), Lake Naomi (Kalahari about 10 minutes) or Penn Estates (Great Wolf Lodge about 25 minutes).
- Pocono Raceway weekend: Indian Mountain Lake (about 10 to 15 minutes), Blakeslee (about 10 minutes) or Emerald Lakes (about 15 to 20 minutes).
- A summer week on a lake: Arrowhead Lakes (four beaches, three heated pools) or Lake Naomi (a 277-acre sailing lake).
- Powerboats and water-skiing: Lake Harmony, one of the few lakes here where motorboats are part of summer.
- Big family reunion or friend group: Albrightsville, where many of the region's largest homes are.
- Easy weekend from New York or New Jersey, close to town: Penn Estates, near Stroudsburg and the Delaware Water Gap.
- Hiking and Jim Thorpe: Towamensing Trails (Hickory Run State Park about 10 minutes) or Lake Harmony.
Emerald Lakes and Long Pond
Best for families, race weekends and ski trips. Emerald Lakes is a wooded lake community in Long Pond, just off I-80 and I-380, with several small lakes and beaches, the Emerald Lodge (indoor pool and game room), a summer outdoor pool and sports courts. Renters use them with amenity badges ($20 per person for one day, up to $50 for a week, as of October 2026). Boats on the lakes are electric trolling motors only.
Kalahari is about 10 to 15 minutes away, Pocono Raceway about 15 to 20, Camelback about 20, Big Boulder about 30 and Jack Frost about 35. Stroudsburg and the Delaware Water Gap are about 35 minutes east.
Lake Harmony
Best for ski trips and summer on the water. Big Boulder sits on the edge of the community, about 5 minutes from most homes, and Jack Frost is about 15 minutes. The roughly 125-acre private lake is known for powerboating, water-skiing and jet-skiing, which most Pocono lakes don't allow.
Pocono Raceway is about 15 minutes, Hickory Run State Park about 15 to 20, and Jim Thorpe about 30 minutes south. The nearest indoor waterpark is Kalahari, about 25 to 30 minutes, since Split Rock's waterpark is closed until further notice.
Blakeslee
Best for groups who want to do a bit of everything. Blakeslee sits where PA-115 meets PA-940, close to I-80, and Jack Frost, Big Boulder and Pocono Raceway are each about 10 minutes away. Kalahari is about 20 minutes. It's a crossroads rather than a lake community, so homes here usually don't come with beach or pool passes.
Albrightsville and Towamensing Trails
Best for big groups and reunions. Albrightsville, in Carbon County, is where many of the Poconos' five-, six- and seven-bedroom lodges are, often with hot tubs, theaters and game rooms. Big Boulder is about 15 minutes away, Hickory Run State Park about 15 to 20, and historic Jim Thorpe about 20 to 25.
Towamensing Trails, just south of Albrightsville, is a private community built around a 190-acre lake, with a pool, a beach, a community center and 24-hour security. Each rental home gets 8 community badges. Hickory Run is about 10 minutes away, Big Boulder and Pocono Raceway about 15 to 20, and Jim Thorpe about 30.
Indian Mountain Lake
Best for big groups, race weekends and quiet lake summers. Indian Mountain Lake is a gated community of about 4,600 wooded acres in Albrightsville, with five motor-free lakes, beaches, two outdoor pools and a kiddie pool, and tennis and basketball courts. Renters wear association wristbands ($10 each, up to 10 per home).
Pocono Raceway is about 10 to 15 minutes away, Big Boulder and Hickory Run about 25, Kalahari about 30 and Jim Thorpe about 45. Your host must register every guest and car at least 2 business days ahead, so it isn't the place for a last-minute booking.
Penn Estates (East Stroudsburg)
Best for families and groups who want the eastern Poconos and an easy drive from New York and New Jersey. Penn Estates is a gated lake community with a 24/7 gatehouse, a swim lake and beach, community pools, tennis and pickleball courts, playgrounds and a dog park. The owner buys an amenity pass for each guest.
Downtown Stroudsburg is about 15 to 20 minutes away, and the Delaware Water Gap, Camelback and Great Wolf Lodge are about 25. Shawnee Mountain is about 30 minutes, Kalahari about 30 to 35, and Pocono Raceway about 45. Your host registers your stay at least 3 days before you arrive.
Pocono Lake, Pocono Pines and Arrowhead Lakes
Best for summer lake weeks and a central base. Pocono Lake is a wooded area along Route 940 that takes in lake communities like Arrowhead Lakes and Locust Lake Village. Kalahari is about 15 to 20 minutes away, Pocono Raceway about 15, Jack Frost and Big Boulder about 20 to 25, and Tobyhanna State Park, with its 170-acre lake and swimming beach, about 30.
Arrowhead Lakes is a gated community built around two electric-motor-only lakes (235 and 86 acres), with four sandy beaches, three heated outdoor pools open Memorial Day to Labor Day, and a lodge with a game room. Kalahari is about 15 minutes away.
Lake Naomi (Pocono Pines)
Best for a classic week at a lake club. Lake Naomi is a 277-acre, non-motorized lake for sailing and paddling, with lifeguarded summer beaches, pools, 18 tennis courts and more. Renters need a Temporary Membership, which works best for Saturday-to-Saturday weekly stays and must be applied for at least 48 hours ahead.
Kalahari is about 10 minutes away, Camelback about 20, and Jack Frost and Pocono Raceway about 15 to 20. Homes in Tobyhanna Township have a 2-night minimum and the renter must be 25 or older.
Places we don't cover (great for a day trip)
Our hosts don't have homes in these areas yet, but they're worth the drive.
- Stroudsburg and the Delaware Water Gap: a walkable Main Street, river trips and waterfall hikes in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. About 15 to 25 minutes from Penn Estates and about 35 minutes from Emerald Lakes.
- Lake Wallenpaupack: one of Pennsylvania's largest lakes, at more than 5,700 acres, with no horsepower limit for boats. It's near Hawley in Pike and Wayne counties, about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes from Emerald Lakes or Penn Estates by map route.
- Jim Thorpe: a Victorian downtown with shops, restaurants and the Lehigh Gorge. About 20 to 25 minutes from Albrightsville, about 30 from Lake Harmony and about 50 to 55 from Emerald Lakes. After an October 31, 2026 rockslide, Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway trains board in nearby Nesquehoning for now, so check before you plan a train ride.
Sources: Lake Wallenpaupack (Wikipedia) · Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway
Good to know before you book
Most of these communities are private, so renters reach the lakes, beaches and pools through passes, badges or memberships, and many need your host to register you a few days ahead. Township rules also vary: in Tobyhanna Township, for example, stays are at least 2 nights and the renter must be 25 or older. Your host will confirm the rules, passes and guest limits for the home you pick.
