People ask us when the best time to visit the Poconos is, and the honest answer is that it depends what you want to do. Our homes around Lake Harmony and Arrowhead Lake are busy in every season, for different reasons. Here is what each one actually looks like so you can pick.
Winter (December to March): the ski season
This is what the Lake Harmony townhome was built for. Jack Frost Mountain is minutes away and the townhome has a wood‑burning fireplace, a loft for the kids, and a deck over the pond. Snow tubing at Big Boulder is the family favourite. Expect cold, proper cold, and pack accordingly. Weekends and the holiday weeks fill up first. If you can come midweek, the slopes are quiet and the rates are kinder.
Spring (April to May): the quiet season
Spring in the mountains arrives late and slowly. Trails are muddy in April, the lakes are too cold to swim, and a lot of the seasonal restaurants are still shut. What you get in return is empty. This is the season for people who want to read on a deck, hike Hickory Run without seeing anyone, and sit in the hot tub while it is still cool enough to justify it. Rates are at their lowest.
Summer (June to August): lake season
This is when the Arrowhead Lake home earns its name. Three‑minute walk to the water, kayaks and paddleboards on the lake, beaches for the kids, and a fire pit for the evening. Lehigh Gorge is at its best for biking and rafting. Hickory Run’s Sand Spring Lake beach is open. It is warm but rarely oppressive at this altitude, and the evenings cool off properly. Book early for July and August; families come back to the same weeks every year.
Autumn (September to October): the one everybody photographs
Fall foliage in the Poconos usually peaks in the second and third weeks of October. Jim Thorpe runs its Fall Foliage Festival on the weekends, the scenic train fills up, and every road looks like a postcard. The weather is crisp, the lakes are still, and the fireplace comes back into use. If you have never seen it, this is the season to come. It is also the season to book furthest ahead.
So when should you book?
For skiing, January and February. For swimming and boating, July. For colour and cool air, the middle two weeks of October. For a cheap, quiet reset, any time in April or May. Whenever you come, both homes are checked by hand between stays, so the hot tub is clean, the firewood is stacked and the kitchen is stocked with the basics before you arrive.
Check availability for the season you want, or browse both Pocono homes. If you are not sure which one suits your group, ask Kelly and she will tell you straight.