Wayne County is the northeast corner of Pennsylvania — about 750 square miles, mostly forest and lakes, with one real town (Honesdale) and dozens of named places that aren’t. It’s a county that lives in the gap between the Catskills (to the north, in New York) and the central Poconos (to the south, around Mt. Pocono and Lake Harmony). If you’ve been to either of those and found them too crowded, this is the answer.
The lay of the land.
Wayne County sits on the Allegheny Plateau at 1,000-1,500 feet of elevation. It’s noticeably cooler than central PA — nights are sweater weather most of the summer, and winters get real snow. The defining geographic feature is water: there are over 50 named lakes within county lines, the Lackawaxen River, and the Delaware River along the eastern border. The settled history is canal-and-rail country — the D&H Canal connected this region to NYC via barge in the 1820s, and the railroads followed in the 1840s.
Today the population is about 50,000 across the whole county. Honesdale (the seat) has about 4,300 people. The biggest summer destination is Lake Wallenpaupack in the south. The biggest winter destination is technically Elk Mountain — which is in Susquehanna County, not Wayne, but most ski-weekend traffic comes through Wayne County to get there. The northeast corner of the county — where Starrucca and Shehawken Lake sit — is the quietest part: closer to NY and the upper Delaware fishing country than to the Wallenpaupack/Mt. Pocono tourism strip.
The towns, ranked by usefulness.
Honesdale (county seat)
The only real town. Walking-friendly main street, several good restaurants, a few solid antique shops, the Wayne County Historical Society. Most guests visit Honesdale at least once per stay — it’s 35-40 minutes from the cabin. Full breakdown in the Honesdale day-trip post.
Hawley
Smaller than Honesdale but with a riverfront, restaurants, and Wallenpaupack Brewing Company. Worth combining with Honesdale on a single day-trip — they’re 15 minutes apart.
Equinunk & Lookout
Tiny villages south of Starrucca on the way to Honesdale. Each has one country store and basic services. Useful for sandwiches and gas en route.
Pleasant Mount & Lake Como
Northwestern Wayne County. Scattered cottages, one good pub (the Pleasant Mount Pub), and otherwise quiet. The drive through here is the more interesting back-roads route between Starrucca and Honesdale.
Starrucca
The far-northeast corner where the cabin is. 169 people. The Starrucca area guide covers it in depth.
The lakes.
Wayne County’s identity is its lakes. The big ones are Lake Wallenpaupack (5,700 acres, gas motors, busy in summer), Lake Como (smaller, mixed-use), and the dozens of smaller private lakes including Shehawken. The smaller private lakes are quieter by design — many are governed by lake associations that restrict motor types or shoreline development.
Shehawken Lake (where the cabin is) is a 54-acre spring-fed private lake with electric-motors-only rules. The surrounding shoreline is two 400-acre family farms with cottages. That’s the model for most of the smaller Wayne County lakes — private association ownership, restricted use, quiet by design. If you’ve ever wondered why some Wayne County lake rentals are noticeably more peaceful than the Wallenpaupack ones, this is why.
What to do, by season.
Summer
Lakes, lakes, lakes. Hiking gets uncomfortable in midsummer humidity. Most guest activity centers on the lake plus 1-2 town visits.
Fall
The best season here. Foliage peaks the first or second week of October. Promised Land State Park, Lacawac Sanctuary, and the D&H Rail-Trail are all transformed. Cool nights, fire-pit weather, second-home crowd thins after Columbus Day. Full breakdown in the Wayne County activities post.
Winter
Quiet. Elk Mountain is 30 minutes from the cabin (technically just over the line into Susquehanna County, but accessed through Wayne). Honesdale and Hawley both do holiday-light displays. Some restaurants run reduced winter hours. The full Elk Mountain post covers ski weekends.
Spring
Mud season transitioning to fly-fishing season. The Delaware River fishery opens up — covered in the fly-fishing post. Trails get sloppy. Lake season hasn’t started.
Drive times from a Shehawken Lake base.
- To Hancock, NY (closest groceries): 15 minutes
- To Honesdale (Wayne County seat): 35-40 minutes
- To Hawley (Wallenpaupack south end): 50 minutes
- To Lake Wallenpaupack (any access): 45-60 minutes
- To Elk Mountain ski resort: 30 minutes
- To Promised Land State Park: 40 minutes
- To Scranton, PA: 55 minutes
Where to stay.
If you’re reading this and trying to figure out the right base for a Wayne County trip, the considerations are:
- For Wallenpaupack-focused trips — book in Hawley or Greentown. The big-lake amenities are right there.
- For Honesdale-focused trips — book in Honesdale or Bethany. The town is right there.
- For quiet-private-lake trips with paddle boards / kayaks / a real lakefront cabin — book in the northeast corner. Starrucca, Lakewood, Pleasant Mount.
- For fly-fishing-focused trips — book within 30 minutes of Hancock. Northeast Wayne County or just over the NY line.
The Shehawken Lake Cabin (Brothers Den on Airbnb) hits the third and fourth criteria — quiet private lake, 15 minutes from Hancock, 30 minutes from Elk Mountain. See the listing or check availability and ask questions.
