Shehawken Lake in words.
Practical guides to the lake, the area, skiing Elk, and getting here from the city, season by season. Written by the host, for guests planning a visit.
Elk Mountain tickets & night skiing: the planning guide.
Every lift ticket price, when night skiing runs, the 2-day deal, first-timer packages, and the best days to go. 30 minutes from the cabin.
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Where to stay near Elk Mountain: cabin vs. hotel.
Lodging at the mountain is thin. The real options for a ski group, side by side, plus the group math on lift tickets.
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Christmas in a cabin: the quiet week.
Fireplace, full kitchen, a lake out the window, and skiing 30 minutes away. The case for taking the holiday somewhere small.
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Poconos ski resorts, ranked honestly.
Elk, Camelback, Blue, Montage, Jack Frost Big Boulder, Shawnee. Who each mountain is actually for.
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Elk Mountain vs Camelback: which one?
Better skiing and short lines, or waterpark and resort scene. Pick by the group, not the marketing.
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The winter getaway: a frozen lake weekend.
Skating off the dock, a fireplace, skiing 30 minutes away, and the quietest version of the lake all year.
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When does it snow in the Poconos?
First flakes in November, the real season from late December through February, month by month with elevation notes.
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Fall foliage from NYC: PA beats New England
Same peak color, three hours instead of five, half the price. The competitive case for the quiet corner.
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When do leaves peak in the Poconos?
Late September through mid October, week by week, with what elevation does to the timeline.
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Thanksgiving in a cabin: skip the hosting
Full kitchen, three bedrooms, fire pit, lake. Nobody hosts because everybody is a guest.
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Fall fishing: the Delaware and the lake
October trout on the river, bass and pickerel feeding hard on the lake, and no crowds on either.
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Where to eat near Starrucca, PA, Hancock, Honesdale & surprises
Starrucca itself has 169 people and no restaurant. But the radius around it is more interesting than you’d expect, here’s where I send guests, ranked by distance and dependability.
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Driving from NYC, the back-roads route
There are two ways to drive to Starrucca from NYC. The interstates win on Tuesdays. The back roads win on Fridays, and they’re the entire reason you’re driving instead of flying.
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Delaware River fly fishing, from a Shehawken base
Hale Eddy is 20 minutes away. The West Branch is one of the best wild-trout fisheries on the east coast. Use the cabin as your base while the rest of the family paddles the lake.
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Things to do in Wayne County, PA
Wayne County is bigger than you’d expect from a map. Here’s what to actually do, lakes, hikes, towns, by season, ranked by guest enjoyment.
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Honesdale day trip, what’s actually worth the drive
35 minutes from the cabin, the seat of Wayne County, and the closest place that feels like a real town. Here’s how to spend half a day or a full one.
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The Shehawken Lake fishing guide, what’s actually biting
Bass, yellow perch, and pickerel are the three you’ll catch. Here’s where to cast, what tackle to bring, and what seasonal patterns to plan around on a 54-acre spring-fed electric-motor-only lake.
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A weekend skiing Elk Mountain from NYC
Elk Mountain is the most honest ski weekend you can pull off from New York City. Here’s how a weekend actually runs, drive, where to stay, trails worth hitting, and what nobody mentions about the night-ski crowd.
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The 3-hour Poconos escape from NYC
Everyone goes to the Catskills. The Poconos catch the spillover. But if you head an extra 45 minutes past Scranton, the lake cabins get quieter, rates get cheaper, and the weekend actually works as intended.
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Most posts on this blog were written from the dock of a 3-bedroom lakefront cabin with paddle boards, a kayak, and a row boat included. If that sounds like your kind of weekend, check the availability calendar.
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