Leafers Welcome – 5 Ways to Enjoy the Fall Foliage in the Poconos

Perhaps the most beautiful time of the year, autumn is a colorful and crisp season to visit the resort. In addition to taking in the view from our golf carts, hiking paths, and walkways, we’ve compiled five festive ways to celebrate the Poconos’ fall foliage.

1. Jim Thorpe Fall Festival

Enjoy free entertainment and family fun every weekend of October at the Jim Thorpe Fall Festival, located alongside the Lehigh River. Their train ride is perfect for viewing foliage, taking you on an adventure below orange-and-red treetops close to the water. The festival also offers over 100 food and artisan vendors, fun and games for the kids, and a scarecrow contest.

Be sure to visit their website for hours and special events: https://www.jimthorpe.org/fall.

2. Heckman Orchards

Heckman Orchards is a family-owned fruit-and-vegetable farm in the quaint town of Effort, PA that’s been a local hotspot for 50 years and counting. Their fresh produce includes sweet corn, tomatoes, green and yellow beans, peppers, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, pickles, red beets, basil, apples, peaches, and plums. In the fall, guests are welcome to pick apples and pumpkins underneath fall foliage.

Visit http://www.heckmanorchards.com/ for hours, directions, and seasonal contests.

3. Pocono Mountain Zipline

Add an element of adventure to your autumnal experience with an exhilarating zipline. Soaring over 900 feet above the ground at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, you’ll have the best view of fall foliage and rolling waters of the Lehigh Gorge Dam Release below. And the prices are pretty hard to beat, with a single ride for fifteen dollars and double for twenty-five.

For hours, directions, and additional rates, visit http://www.adventurerafting.com/ziplining/.

4. Bushkill Falls

Coined the "Niagara of Pennsylvania," Bushkill Falls impresses travelers with its series of eight waterfalls, nestled deep in the forest of the Pocono Mountains. Various hiking trails and bridges will lead you in, surrounded by trees and leaves bursting with life and color. Owls, opossums, and deer can also be seen along the way, so be on the lookout for wildlife!

For rates, hours, and directions, visit http://www.visitbushkillfalls.com/.

5. Gorilla Grove Treetop Adventures

Offering five elevated obstacle courses, Gorilla Grove Treetop Adventures is perfect for sharing fall foliage and a bit of a challenge with the entire family. Each course harnesses you in for safety, but doesn’t take away from the thrill or breathtaking view of Pocono Manor. And once you reach the final platform, race alongside up to four people on their one-of-a-kind parallel quad ziplines.

Rates and hours can be found on their website at https://www.poconomountains.com/listings/gorilla-grove-treetop-adventures/3933/.