Jim Thorpe, PA
SaunaHot tubHiking trails
Usually from $344/night · Reopens by Mar 2027The best places to unplug in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has two big cities at either end and a whole lot of woods in between. Most of the middle and north of the state is state forest, farms and small towns, and some of it is about as empty as anywhere in the East.
Every place here is rated highly by guests and sits close to trails, water or a dark sky. These are the ones we'd send a friend to, sorted by the part of the state they're in.
The Poconos
The Poconos are the mountains and lakes in the northeast corner of the state, about two hours from New York or Philadelphia. That makes them the easiest escape in Pennsylvania, and on summer weekends it shows.
The quieter parts are up north around Hawley and Lake Wallenpaupack, and down south around Jim Thorpe and the Lehigh Gorge. In between there are state parks, lakes and a lot of rental houses with hot tubs.
A log cabin near Jim Thorpe with a hot tub and a sauna. There's a fireplace, a fire pit, board games and water close by for fishing. It's rated about as high as anything in the Poconos.
The Pennsylvania Wilds
The Pennsylvania Wilds is the name for the big forested stretch across the north central part of the state. It's mostly state forest and game land, with a few small towns and a lot of dirt roads. Cell service is spotty or gone in plenty of places.
Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County is a dark sky park and one of the best places in the East to see the Milky Way. Pine Creek Gorge, the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is a little over an hour east, near Wellsboro. There's an elk herd around Benezette, and you can often see them from the road at dusk.
Clearfield sits on the southern edge of the Wilds, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna. Parker Dam State Park and the elk country are both within easy reach.
A small bed and breakfast in Clearfield with a hot tub, a fireplace, a fire pit and a library. The river is close for paddling and fishing, there's horseback riding nearby, and dogs are allowed.
Bellefonte and Spring Creek
Bellefonte is an old Victorian town about 20 minutes from State College, in the valleys of Centre County. Spring Creek runs right through town and is one of the best known trout streams in the state.
It's not as remote as the Wilds, but the farms and ridges around it are quiet, and the state forest is close.
The Laurel Highlands
The Laurel Highlands are the ridges southeast of Pittsburgh, about an hour and a half away. Ohiopyle State Park is the center of it, with the Youghiogheny River, waterfalls and the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail running through town. Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright house, is a few miles away.
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail runs 70 miles along the ridge from Ohiopyle north toward Johnstown. We don't have stays to show here yet, but it's worth the trip.
Before you go
- Download your maps before you head into the Wilds. Cell service drops out for long stretches, especially in Potter County.
- Check the moon before a trip to Cherry Springs. A new moon and a clear night make all the difference.
- Fill up the tank when you see a gas station up north. They can be far apart.
- Stay at least two nights. The drive in is part of it, and one night goes by fast.
All our stays in Pennsylvania
First look
New places we find and the odd guide to somewhere quiet. A few emails a year, that's it.