Overview

Stroudsburg is set in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania, with sparkling white winters and red-yellow autumns. With a population of less than 7,000, this charming town is a quiet escape. Downtown you can go antiquing, window shop at 30 specialty shops or peruse local art galleries. Sit outside a humble café and sip a warm cup of coffee as you read a book, breathe the fresh air and take in the surrounding mountainous landscape. Stroudsburg is the ideal place to turn off your cell phone and rest.

The quaint borough was laid out by Col. Jacob Stroud in 1799. Today a handful of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Stroud Mansion, built by the town’s founder and his son in 1795, was used as a store front, later as a boarding house and now as the county’s museum. The Monroe County Courthouse was built in 1890 in a stately Romanesque Revival style, and Kitson Woolen Mill was built at the turn of the 20th century to house a woolen mill. The Academy Hill Historic District features 180 mostly residential buildings built in Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Bungalow/American Craftsman architectural styles. An afternoon stroll through these streets is a pleasant setting for reflection.

Perhaps Stroudsburg’s biggest draw is its natural surroundings. Located on a mountaintop, Big Pocono State Park offers challenging trails. Select paths are great for mountain biking, and high-altitude picnic areas with charcoal grills make for an enjoyable lunch or early dinner. About 800 acres are open for the seasonal hunting of deer, ruffed grouse, fox, bear, coyote, cottontail rabbit and raccoon. The 70,000-acre Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area contains a 40-mile river valley. The Water Gap, streams and lakes feature green ravines and soothing waterfalls. Guests enjoy hiking, swimming, biking, canoeing, rafting, tubing, camping, fishing, boating and hunting. One thing is for sure – after a day walking through nature and breathing wholesome air, you’re bound to sleep well in your quiet, homey accommodations.