The Poconos with Kids: What to Do in Each Season
By Andrienne Knight · April 30, 2026 · 5 min read
The Poconos are the closest real mountains to New York and Philadelphia, which makes them a drive rather than a flight for a lot of families — and a genuine four-season destination rather than a summer one.
Our two cabins sit in Albrightsville and East Stroudsburg. Sugar Maple Retreat sleeps 16 across six bedrooms; Azure Peaks Cozy Retreat sleeps 12 across five. Both put the region's main attractions within about 15 to 45 minutes.
Winter: skiing, tubing, and a warm backup
Camelback Mountain Resort, about 15-35 minutes from the cabins, is the region's biggest all-season resort and the main draw between December and March — skiing, snowboarding, and a large snow-tubing park that works for children too young to ski.
The winter-trip insurance is Kalahari Resorts Poconos, about 25-35 minutes away, home to one of the largest indoor waterparks in America and kept warm year-round. Day passes are sold without an overnight stay, which makes it the standard rescue plan when a storm closes the slopes or the temperature drops past the point where children will tolerate it.
Spring and summer: water and trails
Bushkill Falls — the "Niagara of Pennsylvania" — is about 20-40 minutes out, and it's the rare hike that works for a mixed-age group: a network of trails and boardwalks lets you choose anything from a fifteen-minute loop to a two-hour walk taking in all eight waterfalls.
Camelback's outdoor waterpark, Camelbeach, opens for the summer, so the same resort covers both ends of the year. Between the two you can fill most of a week without driving more than about forty minutes in any direction.
Autumn: the best-value season
Foliage peaks through October and it is the region's most beautiful few weeks, but the reason to consider it with children is the crowd. Trails and towns are quieter than either summer or ski season.
Jim Thorpe, about 20-45 minutes away, is the autumn day trip — a Victorian town in the Lehigh Gorge once called the "Switzerland of America," with a scenic railway, and small enough to walk in an afternoon.
Common questions
- What is there to do in the Poconos with kids in winter?
- Camelback Mountain Resort is the main winter destination, with skiing, snowboarding, and a large snow-tubing park suitable for children too young to ski. Kalahari Resorts Poconos offers one of America's largest indoor waterparks, kept warm year-round and sold as day passes without an overnight stay, which makes it a reliable bad-weather backup.
- When is the best time to visit the Poconos with children?
- Winter for snow sports, summer for waterfalls and outdoor waterparks, and autumn for foliage with noticeably smaller crowds. October is the most scenic and often the best value; December through March is peak for skiing and books up earliest.
- Is Bushkill Falls suitable for young children?
- Yes. Bushkill Falls has a network of trails and boardwalks that can be shortened or extended, from a quick fifteen-minute loop to a roughly two-hour route past all eight waterfalls. The trails include stairs and can be slick near the falls, so proper shoes matter.
Base yourself in the Poconos
Sugar Maple Retreat sleeps 16 and Azure Peaks sleeps 12, both within about 15 to 45 minutes of Camelback, Kalahari, and Bushkill Falls.
See Poconos cabins
