12 Of The Most Captivating Small Towns In Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, the “land full of trees,” is also a sylvan land full of the most captivating small towns worth visiting this year and the next. Where the Amish culture flourishes, and the Native American heritage is respected, each town in Pennsylvania promises new memories and keepsakes to keep. Among the many items you can enjoy in Pennsylvania are the chocolates and delicacies in small towns like Hershey and Lititz. On the other hand, there are historical tidbits and factoids you might be interested to learn about in small towns like Jim Thorpe, Gettysburg, and Doylestown. Finally, you can participate in pensive celebrations in festive destinations like Punxsutawney. Let yourself be enamored by the most captivating small towns in Pennsylvania.
Ohiopyle
Ohiopyle, the highest small town in Pennsylvania, provides innumerable opportunities for adventure and exploration on the flattering and flat plateaus of the Laurel Highlands. Stand atop the botanical reserve of Ferncliff to get an impeccable view of the Youghiogheny River, or better yet you can undertake water-rafting excursions down the Youghiogheny River at your pace and leisure. The Ohiopyle State Park, accompanied by the Great Allegheny Passage’s 150-mile trail, allows you to see all the wonders of the Laurel Highlands as well as lead travelers towards the city of Pittsburgh. You might fancy seeing Cucumber Falls and Ohiopyle Falls at Baughman Rock Overlook, or if you get weary and worn from all the trekking, rejuvenate yourself at either the Heart of Ohiopyle Vacation House or Stay In Ohiopyle. Whatever the case, you will not be forgetting your beautiful experiences in the small town of Ohiopyle.
Wellsboro
Wellsboro, deep in the heart of Pine Creek Gorge and about 52 miles from Williamsport, will have you pining for more sights and sites in Pennsylvania’s pensive wilderness. From the Colton Point State Park and Leonard Harrison State Parrk in the Creek Gorge, also referred to as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, to the Tioga State Forest which takes its name from the Seneca phrase Tioga meaning the “meeting of two rivers,” you will be meeting a lot of remarkable settings in the town of Wellsboro. Even the thoroughfares and avenues of the town are reminiscent of a painting which an artist like Norman Rockwell created. To learn all about the town’s beginnings, you can examine the exhibits and panels of the Robinson House Museum. And to enjoy a welcoming vacation in Wellsboro, you are welcome to book a room at the Penn Wells Lodge, La Belle Auberge Bed & Breakfast, or the Ski Sawmill Family Resort.
New Hope
Close to the state border separating Pennsylvania from New Jersey, the enthusiastic and exciting town of New Hope showcases a plethora of amenities along the Delaware River. Whether you are admiring one of the many historic edifices in New Hope like the Locktender's House, which happens to be the modern headquarters of the Friends of the Delaware Canal since the 19th-century, travelers will be entreated to many more surprises in New Hope.
You might be intrigued to explore the former estate of Benjamin Parry, one of New Hope’s founding members, at the Parry Mansion. Or perhaps you can watch live theatrical performances at the Bucks Country Playhouse which hosted events for several notable figures such as Grace Kelly, Dick Van Dyke, and more. There is much to see and do in New Hope, but the first thing you ought to see and do is to seek out the many lodgings in town such as the New Hope Lodge, Aaron Burr House, or Logan Inn in New Hope.
Doylestown
Doylestown, an hour-away borough of the city of Philadelphia, is renowned for being one of the most hospitable and relaxing destinations in Pennsylvania thanks to the accommodations which the Doylestown Inn and Mainstreet Inn provide. Ever since the time of William Doyle, the former innkeeper of the 18th Century Inn, Doylestown has continued to impress newcomers with its taverns and hostels in addition to a diversity of world-class architectures like those created by Henry Chapman Mercer in the early 1900s. Among Mercer’s creations are the Fonthill Castle and the Mercer Museum, the latter being a six-storied concrete castle housing mementos from before the Industrial Revolution. One can appreciate the artistry of the Delaware Valley at the Michener Art Museum, and one can certainly feel safe and sound in one of Doylestown’s Victorian-era lodgings for you to stay at.
Hershey
Hershey, about 15 miles east of the city of Harrisburg, is the headquarters of the world-famous Hershey Company that produces some of the best chocolates you can savor. Ever since its inception in the year 1905 by Milton S. Hershey, the small town sharing its founder’s surname continues to entertain guests and workers with Hershey-themed locations like the Hershey Park or the Hershey Gardens, the latter having over 500 butterflies for you to admire. The Hershey Story Museum chronicles much of Milton S. Hershey’s activities as well as the evolution of the Hershey Company, while the Hershey Arena promotes a wide array of performances and other venues for you to see. So if you are hungry to see what Hershey is all about, you ought to first book a room at either the Hershey Lodge or The Hotel Hershey.
Gettysburg
Gettysburg, about 50 miles away from Hershey, was the site of the renowned Battle of Gettysburg that turned the tides in the American Civil War in favor of the Union army. It was from the town's streets that President Abraham Lincoln gave his iconic and pivotal Gettysburg Address. And many of the soldiers who perished in the Battle of Gettysburg can be found resting in peace at the Gettysburg National Cemetery. On the other hand, the Jennie Wade House commemorates the civilians who were caught in the crossfires during the Battle of Gettysburg. The David Wills House once accommodated Lincoln in his stay in Gettysburg, and the Gettysburg Museum of History and the Gettysburg National Military Park are two such destinations where you can learn more about the monumental battle that took place in the town. When it comes to lodgings, you need not feel so unwanted in Gettysburg, especially when you are staying at the Federal Pointe Inn, Gettysburg Hotel, or The Gaslight Inn.
Lititz
Lititz, the headquarters of the Wilbur Chocolate company, is often a close rival to Hershey which is only about 41 minutes away. Not only does Lititz contain the Wilbur Chocolate Company which has been in operation since 1894, Lititz is also the home of the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the US since 1861, the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery. Built on the former homeland of the Nanticoke Native Americans whose relics one can find around Lititz Spring, the town has preserved a number of Moravian structures for you to tour such as Linden Hall, the oldest all-girl boarding school in the US. On the other hand, lodgings like the Lititz Springs Inn, The Wilbur Lititz, and The Alden House are not as old as the many famous structures and industries in Lititz, so you should have a moderately modern experience when spending your days and nights at Lititz.
Wilkes-Barre
Surrounded by the Poconos or the Pocono Mountains in the Wyoming Valley, you can find the small town of Wilkes-Barre, home the Pinchot State Forest which the Iroquois Confederacy has revered for a long time. You can spend your days and nights at the camping grounds of the Bear Creek Camp Conservation Area. You can also spend your time admiring the mesmerizing Art Deco performances at the F.M. Kirby Center or during the Fine Arts Fiesta every year in May. Wilkes-Barre used to be a coal-mining town when it was first set up in 1770, and one can find the quarries of its pioneering past near the Susquehanna River. You can also learn all about Wilkes-Barre’s history at the Luzerne County Historical Society Museum and the Frederick Stegmaier Mansion. Do consider booking a room in places like the Mohegan Pennsylvania or The Woodlands Inn & Resort if you are interested in a longer vacation in Wilkes-Barre.
Stroudsburg
Stroudsburg, one of many small towns in the mountainous expanses of the Poconos, is about an hour from its scenic neighbor, Wilkes-Barre. For a suitable beginning to your adventures in Stroudsburg, travel through the Levee Loop Trail and towards the Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center where you can learn all about the different habitats and environments that Stroudsburg protects. Speaking of defense, travelers can explore Fort Hamilton that has defended the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the surrounding Poconos area for a number of years before being abandoned entirely. You will be amazed by the artistic exhibits of the Pocono Arts Council as well as the vast farmlands of the Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm. Finally, you can choose to tour the Stroud Mansion for an immersive experience of the past or enjoy the accommodations of the present at establishments like the Pocono Plaza Inn or The Penn Stroud.
Johnstown
Johnstown, approximately 57 miles away from Pittsburg, was once known as Conemaugh after the Conemaugh River it is located close to. Although the Shawnee and Delaware no longer live in this town so named after Joseph Johns, the Mennonite founder from Switzerland, Johnstown is nevertheless a thriving community that has contributed much to the development of the Allegheny Portage Railroad and the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal. During the American Industrial Revolution, Johnstown’s steel mills laid the foundations of progress for Pennsylvania’s industries. However, production halted significantly when a disastrous dam spill in 1889 occurred, considered one of the worst floods in US history. The Johnstown Flood National Memorial honors those who were victim to the dam spill, and many of those victims can be found interred at the Grandview Cemetery. You need not feel so anxious when spending your evenings in fine establishments like the Sleep Inn Johnstown, Econo Lodge, or Comfort Inn & Suites.
Jim Thorpe
Deep in Lehigh Gorge lies the small town of Jim Thorpe, so named after the Native American athlete and gold medalist. It was originally known as Mauch Chunk before the establishment of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, or the D&L Trail, that allowed travelers to cross the Lehigh River and towards other destinations in the Poconos. Among the many diverse and delightful activities you can undertake in Jim Thrope is the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. With its century-old coaches powered by diesel engines, you can explore the Lehigh Gorge State Park in style. The Old Jail Museum, a former prison, is open to all alongside the Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center where one can learn all about the town’s coal-mining days. Watch cathartic performances at the Mauch Chunk Opera House, one of America’s oldest vaudeville theaters since 1881. Finally, rest well and recharge for a new day at the Angel of Jim Thorpe Bed & Breakfast, Times House, or The Dolon House.
Punxsutawney
Ever watched the time-looping movie Groundhog Day and wondered if there is actually a place called Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania that celebrates a day when groundhogs emerge from their burrows to signal the coming of spring? As it turns out, you can travel about 55 miles north of Johnstown and see the small town of Punxsutawney. Probably the best time to visit Punxsutawney is on Groundhog Day ever February 2 when the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center offers a more solid and science-based prediction of the local weather than the one based on Dutch superstition. Of course, you can also meet Punxsutawney Phil, an actual groundhog living in the Gobbler's Knob Visitor Center that often appears in February 2 or some other date in spring. The Groundhog Picnic & Wojack Weekend is another grand festival to participate on the first Saturday after Labor Day. More importantly, if you are interested in spending a long while in Punxsutawney, you should first consider places like Barclay Bed & Breakfast or The Inn at Punxsutawney as viable locations to sleep peacefully.
Pennsylvania, one of the original 13 colonies that defied the British Empire in the heat of the American Revolutionary War, has become a beautiful sylvan land full of trees. Most of all, this pensive state is filled with some of the most captivating small towns complete with Hershey-themed chocolate delicacies and Groundhog Day festivities and more. Regardless of your motivation for exploring Pennsylvania’s enchanting small towns—perhaps for Doylestown’s comfortable taverns, Johnstown’s industrial delights, or Jim Thorpe’s scenic landscapes—these destinations will impress and amaze travelers everywhere. Give yourself a journey of a lifetime when sightseeing the most captivating small towns in Pennsylvania.
