Why should I bring my teams to the Pocono Mountains?

Home to unbridled waterfalls, breathtaking peaks and more than 170 miles of rivers, the Pocono Mountains region has provided visitors with year-round adventure for decades.The four Pennsylvania counties that form this beautiful mountain escape are an athlete’s dream come true. When snow blankets the Northeast in the chillier months, visitors flock to the region to ski, snowboard and tube on the slopes. Summertime in the Pocono Mountains lends itself to hiking and biking hundreds of woodland trails, water sports of all kinds and balmy afternoons spent chipping and putting on 35 different courses. Come fall, zip lines whisk brave visitors through a canopy of autumn colors and ATV tours race over fallen leaves and rocky mountain terrain.

Regardless of when you choose to visit, adventure is always just around the corner in the Pocono Mountains, making it the perfect getaway for athletes who love the outdoors and want to test their strength, teamwork and other competitive skills. In addition to placing nature at your fingertips, the Pocono Mountains also offers cultural and historical sites, antique shops, outlet stores and an almost overwhelming array of restaurants that serve everything from farm-to-table eats to Italian and Thai meals. No matter what your budget and needs are, there’s a place for everyone to stay in the Pocono Mountains.

Where can we play?

You can find adventure in the Pocono Mountains no matter where you look, but the following eight spots are attractions that you and your teams simply can’t miss.

Camelback CBK Adventures

Get a bird’s-eye view of the Pocono Mountains while you zip line through the canopy at almost 30 miles per hour or dart across swaying bridges on the TreeTops Adventure Course. Your teams can hurtle up and down the slopes on the Mountain Coaster, tackle the terrain on Mountain Segways to leaping from a 30 foot platform and enjoy a dizzying free-fall plunge or experience Civilian Military Combine, the world’s fastest growing community of Hybrid Athletes. No matter which adventure your athletes choose, Camelback Adventures will send fun their way.

Blue Mountain

Challenge your teams to take on the Spartan Race at Blue Mountain, a 5-mile group race up and down the mountain face that will test your team’s endurance with 20 grueling obstacles. After the dust settles, relax at the resort for a day or two then try out the Blue Mountain biking trails or enjoy the views from the high ropes.

Malibu Dude Ranch

Horseback riding. Cattle drives. Skeet shooting. Archery. Discover 800 acres of the Pocono Mountains’ most beautiful land while learning what it takes to work on a ranch. With its authentic Wild West feel, Malibu Dude Ranch offers your athletes the unique opportunity to try their hand at some of ranching’s most challenging aspects. The site also offers guided ATV tours, as well as seasonal snowmobiling and rowboat rentals.

Shawnee Mountain

Three miles of mud, water, trees and mystery obstacles stand between your teams and the finish line of the Shawnee Mountain Mud Run. The race takes a lighthearted approach to teamwork, encouraging costumes and silly team names as well as sense of unity between all the competitors. Shawnee Mountain provides a post-race barbeque as well as live music, awards and raffle prizes.

Pocono Whitewater

Whether you’re looking for a lazy drift through Class I rapids or the adrenaline-pumping thrills of a dam release, Pocono Whitewater has rafting adventures for both the brave and the cautious. Once you’ve dried off and set foot back on land, take on the fields, castles and rivers that make up the Skirmish paintball course so your teams can enjoy a full day of “battles and paddles,” or push and conquer your limits in the Savage Race.

Pocono Raceway

Unlike other NASCAR tracks, Pocono Raceway has only three turns, allowing visitors to get closer to the action and giving drivers an exciting new challenge. The “Tricky Triangle” is family-owned and strives to create a fun atmosphere that your teams will enjoy, no matter what age they are. Pocono Raceway also plays host to the Warrior Dash, a 5K obstacle course that will test your team’s stamina and strength while fostering a sense of unity.

Tree Tops at Bushkill Group

Bushkill Group, Fernwood Golf, Tree Tops, Blue Lightning, October 18 2014. David W. Coulter Photography

David W. Coulter Photography

No matter what kind of outdoor adventure your teams are looking for, they’re sure to find it at this one-of-a-kind cluster of villas nestled deep in the Pocono Mountains. In addition to classic outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing and fishing, athletes can enjoy a 1,000-foot dual zip line, hot air balloon rides,skydiving, paintballing and a year-round tubing run called Blue Lightning.

International Sports Training Camp & Trout Lake

Introduce your athletes to sports they never even knew existed at an ISTC sleep-away camp. The All Sports Camp mixes traditional sports with lesser-known activities like banana boating, cricket and rugby, all the while interspersing Pocono Mountains adventures like the treetops ropes course. The Soccer Camp allows your teams to master new skills and perfect old ones, while the IXTC Camp lets your older athletes experience the wild thrills of dune buggies, mountain biking and nighttime laser tag. No matter which camp you choose, your athletes are sure to learn valuable lessons about teamwork, confidence, decision making and other life skills.

X Factors

  • Customized lead generation and proposal coordination
  • Site inspection tours
  • Assistance in planning off-site events
  • Provide brochures, maps, digital images, videos and link to online service directory
  • On-site welcome table, visitor information and registrar assistance
  • Housing and transportation assistance
  • Media assistance
  • Coordination assistance

Planner Perspective

The Pocono Mountains area was the natural place to host the 2010 North American Orienteering Championships. Great terrain, excellent facilities and professional staff. We will be back for future events. Thanks to the leadership and staff of the Pocono Mountains CVB for a job well done.

– Glen Schorr, Orienteering USA

In planning our event, the Poconos Halloween Marathon & 5K, we explored a few regions as potential host candidates. One of the things that tipped the scales in favor of the Poconos Mountains was our dealings with the Pocono Mountains CVB. They took an active interest in understanding the unique needs of our organization and suggested local partners that were suitable. Additionally, they took care of setting up site visits and helped with ongoing promotion. A first class organization that really goes the extra mile for their membership.

– Doug Bush, Endurance Factor

So, how do I get my teams to the Pocono Mountains?

Just under two hours from Philadelphia, the counties of the Pocono Mountains area are linked together by a series of easily navigable interstates that connect the region to most major East Coast cities.

By Car: If your teams decide to road trip to the Pocono Mountains, I-80, I-476, I-380 and I-84 all run through the region. Cities that are less than five hours away from Stroudsburg, the very center of the Pocono Mountains, include Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York City, Baltimore, Boston and Washington, D.C.

By Air: For teams who’d rather fly, New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport is just over an hour away from the heart of the Pocono Mountains and is serviced by American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United Airlines. Another option is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), which is roughly two hours from the region. American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United all serve Philadelphia International.