Hickory Run State Park is the Poconos with the volume turned down - 15,990 acres of hemlock forest, trout streams, and blueberry-scrubbed plateau in the western Pocono Mountains, wrapped around one of the strangest sights in the eastern United States. The Boulder Field, a National Natural Landmark, is a dead-flat, 16-acre sea of bare boulders left over from the last ice age - roughly 400 by 1,800 feet of rock and nothing else, ringed by forest. Kids scramble it, grandparents photograph it, geology-minded uncles lecture on it, and no one forgets it. Around that centerpiece the park stacks a genuine family resort's worth of free amenities: the sandy swimming beach at Sand Spring Lake, Hawk Falls dropping through a rhododendron glen, over 40 miles of trails, and trout water on Hickory Run and Mud Run.
For reunions, Hickory Run is the rare Poconos venue that doesn't bill like the Poconos. Entry is free - every Pennsylvania state park is - and the park sleeps a whole family: a large campground with modern facilities, rental cabins, and organized group camping, all reservable 11 months out. Pavilions near the lake anchor the cookout; the beach, playground, and easy trails absorb the kids; and the plateau's cool evenings make campfires feel earned even in July. When the family wants a big day out, the park sits minutes off I-80 and the Northeast Extension at the gateway to the Lehigh Gorge: whitewater rafting and the famous 26-mile rail-trail bike ride through the gorge start nearby, and the Victorian mountain town of Jim Thorpe - scenic railroad, shops, and ice cream - is 20 minutes south.
Drive times explain the license plates: Allentown 45 minutes, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre under an hour, Philadelphia 1.75 hours, New York City 2 hours, Harrisburg 2 hours - Hickory Run may be the most metro-accessible big forest in the Northeast. The proven reunion formula: cabins-plus-campground lodging, a Sand Spring Lake pavilion day, the Boulder Field pilgrimage at golden hour, a Hawk Falls stroll, and a Jim Thorpe or rafting splinter day - a full Poconos vacation on a state park budget.
Where it is
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Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
Walk the Boulder Field
A 16-acre, dead-flat sea of ice-age boulders - a National Natural Landmark and one of the strangest landscapes in the eastern US. Drive to the edge or hike in via the Boulder Field Trail; sturdy shoes for anyone scrambling.
Official source ↗Swim at Sand Spring Lake beach
The park's sandy beach on spring-fed Sand Spring Lake is the family swim anchor - gentle entry, sunbathing sand, and a seasonal concession, free like everything else at the gate.
Official source ↗Hike to Hawk Falls
A short, family-scale trail drops to Hawk Falls, a 25-foot cascade in a rhododendron glen - the park's classic one-hour outing and the best photo-per-step ratio on the plateau.
Official source ↗Raft the Lehigh Gorge whitewater
Outfitters minutes from the park run guided raft trips through Lehigh Gorge State Park on dam-release weekends - splashy class II-III water that first-timers and teens handle happily.
Official source ↗Bike the Lehigh Gorge rail-trail
The D&L rail-trail runs 26 gently downhill miles through the gorge from White Haven to Jim Thorpe - outfitters shuttle bikes and riders, making an epic-feeling ride that ten-year-olds finish grinning.
Official source ↗Spend an afternoon in Jim Thorpe
The Victorian mountain town 20 minutes south stacks a scenic railroad, mansion tours, shops, and ice cream between gorge walls - regularly ranked among America's prettiest small towns.
Official source ↗Fish the trout streams
Hickory Run and Mud Run carry wild and stocked trout through hemlock shade - fly water for the serious, worm-and-bobber pools for the kids. PA fishing license required.
Official source ↗Hike the 40-mile trail network
More than 40 miles of trails cross the plateau - from flat lakeside strolls and the Shades of Death Trail's mossy hemlock ravine (scarier in name than in grade) to all-day loops for the ambitious.
Official source ↗Reserve a lakeside pavilion cookout
Reservable pavilions near Sand Spring Lake and the day-use areas put grills, tables, and parking steps from the beach - the anchor venue for the reunion's big meal.
Official source ↗Camp or cabin inside the park
A large modern campground, rental cabins, and organized group camping let the whole family sleep on the plateau - cool nights, real campfires, and the beach minutes away. Reserve 11 months out.
Official source ↗Pick blueberries on the plateau
Mid-to-late summer turns the park's scrub-oak barrens into wild blueberry country - bring buckets on any high-trail walk and let the kids fund dessert.
Official source ↗Watch for bear, deer, and plateau wildlife
The park's big forest supports black bears, white-tailed deer, porcupines, and coyotes - dawn and dusk drives along the park roads double as a free safari (keep food locked up at camp).
Official source ↗Ski and snowboard at nearby Pocono resorts
Jack Frost and Big Boulder ski areas operate practically next door - a winter-reunion card that pairs cabin lodging in the park with lift tickets ten minutes away.
Official source ↗Sled and snowshoe the winter park
Snow season brings sledding slopes, snowmobile and snowshoe trails, and ice fishing - the plateau holds snow well, and winter cabin weekends are a Hickory Run tradition.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your Hickory Run State Park, Pennsylvania reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget - and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Where to hold your reunion near Hickory Run State Park, Pennsylvania
Outdoor pavilions, county parks, fairgrounds, and event grounds within driving distance - places where your group can actually gather, not just visit.
Hickory Run State Park - Sand Spring Lake Pavilions
🏞 State ParkReservable pavilions near the beach, playground, and day-use lawns - grills, tables, and parking in one footprint. The anchor venue for a Hickory Run reunion; book via PAReservations.com up to 11 months out.
Reserve / info ↗Hickory Run State Park - Campground + Cabins
⛺ CampgroundThe park's big campground and rental cabins sleep the family on the plateau itself - adjacent-site blocks and cabin clusters are the classic configuration, with cool nights and real campfires included.
Reserve / info ↗Hickory Run State Park - Organized Group Camping
⛺ CampgroundDedicated group camping gives scout-troop-scale family crews their own field and fire area at the lowest per-person rate in the Poconos.
Reserve / info ↗Lake Harmony / Big Boulder Chalet Country
🏨 Resort / LodgeThe Poconos vacation-rental belt next door rents A-frames, chalets, and 20-person lodges with kitchens, game rooms, and hot tubs - the weatherproof headquarters wing of a Hickory Run reunion.
Reserve / info ↗Jim Thorpe - Event Venues + Restaurant Row
🏛 Event CenterThe Victorian mountain town's inns, restaurants, and event spaces host banquet nights and rainy-day outings between gorge walls - the polished-evening counterweight to pavilion cookouts.
Reserve / info ↗Lehigh Gorge State Park - Glen Onoko Access + Outfitters
🏞 State ParkThe gorge's access points and White Haven/Jim Thorpe outfitters stage group raft trips and shuttle-served rail-trail rides - effectively a bookable adventure venue for the reunion's big activity day.
Reserve / info ↗👥 With Reunly
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Good for
- Philadelphia, New York, and Lehigh Valley families - big woods within 2 hours
- Poconos reunions on a state park budget - free entry, cheap cabins
- Adventure mixes - whitewater, gorge biking, and boulder scrambling
- Classic camp-and-cabin reunions with real campfires and cool nights
- Kids of every age - beach, falls, blueberries, and a boulder sea
- Winter cabin gatherings near Pocono ski areas
Practical logistics
- Closest Airports
- Lehigh Valley (ABE) is about 50 minutes; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP) is 45 minutes; Newark (EWR) and Philadelphia (PHL) are each about 1.75-2 hours and carry the national route maps.
- Drive Times
- White Haven 10 min · Jim Thorpe 20 min · Wilkes-Barre 40 min · Allentown 45 min · Scranton 1 hr · Philadelphia 1.75 hr · New York City 2 hr · Harrisburg 2 hr. I-80 and the PA Turnpike Northeast Extension meet at the park's doorstep.
- Group Lodging
- Inside the park: a large modern campground, rental cabins, and organized group camping. Outside: Poconos vacation-rental country in every direction - Lake Harmony and Big Boulder chalets 15 minutes away sleep 12-20 - plus hotels at White Haven and Blakeslee.
- Rental Companies
- Vrbo and Airbnb are deep here - Lake Harmony, Albrightsville, and Big Boulder listings range from A-frames to 20-person lodges with game rooms and hot tubs, 10-20 minutes from the park gates.
- House Size
- Poconos rentals run $250-500/night for 3-4 BR chalets; big lodges sleeping 14-20 run $500-1,000+/night (ski-season and summer-Saturday peaks). Park cabins and campsites undercut everything by a wide margin.
- Peak Season
- July-August for beach season - warm plateau days, cool nights, campground full on weekends. Fall-foliage weekends in early-to-mid October rival summer for crowds, especially around Jim Thorpe's festival weekends.
- Shoulder Season
- September is the sweet spot: swimmable early, blueberries done but crowds gone, and gorge biking at its best. June brings mountain laurel bloom (Pennsylvania's state flower) across the plateau; winter is its own season with skiing next door.
- Restaurants
- A seasonal beach concession covers snack duty; otherwise grill at the pavilion or campsite. White Haven and Lake Harmony add pizza, pubs, and diners within 15 minutes; Jim Thorpe's restaurant row is 20 minutes.
- Kid Friendly
- Outstanding - a sandy lake beach, a boulder sea made for scrambling, a short waterfall hike, blueberry picking, campground bike loops, and a shuttle-served downhill rail-trail even young riders finish. The Poconos' best kid value.
- Accessibility
- The Sand Spring Lake day-use area, several pavilions, and designated campsites are ADA-accessible, and the Boulder Field can be reached by car with viewing from the edge. Hawk Falls and most trails are natural surface - plan overlooks and lakeside paths for wheels.
- Weather Window
- Mid-June through mid-September for beach weather - plateau days run 75-83°F with genuinely cool nights (pack layers even in July). Foliage peaks early-to-mid October; snow season runs December-March.
- Park Fee
- Free - no entrance or parking fee at any Pennsylvania state park. Pavilions, campsites, and cabins reserve for a fee; rafting and bike shuttles are the only big-ticket options of a Hickory Run reunion.
- Official Site
- https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/HickoryRunStatePark/
When to go
July and August deliver the full package - beach open, blueberries ripening, warm days, and campfire-cool nights. For a reunion, a mid-July weekend hits peak everything; book the pavilion and cabins at the 11-month mark. Early October trades swimming for foliage that turns the plateau and Lehigh Gorge incandescent - the best group-photo light of the year - but book around Jim Thorpe's crowded festival weekends. June adds mountain laurel bloom and easier reservations; winter cabin weekends pair with the ski areas next door.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
Groups of 10-25 fit in a cluster of park cabins or one big Lake Harmony chalet, with a lakeside pavilion for the cookout and one shared Boulder Field golden hour. The simplest Poconos reunion there is.
Medium group · 25–60
Groups of 25-60 should combine cabins, a campground loop block, and a chalet or two nearby, with a large Sand Spring Lake pavilion as the daily hub. Book raft trips and bike shuttles as one group for outfitter discounts.
Large group · 60+
Groups of 60+ should look at the organized group camping area plus cabins and multiple chalets, and reserve the biggest pavilion at the 11-month mark. Split adventure days into rotating pods (raft, bike, town, beach) and converge for the pavilion dinner - Jim Thorpe restaurants can host a banquet night for the finale.
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Sample 3-day Hickory Run Poconos reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly's Schedule and customize for your group.
Day 1 - Arrival + Hawk Falls warm-up
- Afternoon check-in: cabins, campsites, and the Lake Harmony chalet crew
- 4:00 PM short Hawk Falls hike for early arrivals
- 6:30 PM welcome cookout at the campground fire rings
- 8:30 PM s'mores under a plateau sky - bring layers, even in July
Day 2 - Lake + Boulder Field day (main event)
- 8:00 AM trout derby on Hickory Run for the early risers
- 10:00 AM beach morning at Sand Spring Lake - sandcastle contest
- 12:30 PM pavilion cookout - the anchor meal, derby prizes, family awards
- 2:30 PM free play: blueberry picking, lakeside trails, naps in hammocks
- 4:30 PM caravan to the Boulder Field - scramble hour and the golden-light group photo
- 7:30 PM campfire finale with the full family
Day 3 - Gorge adventure + Jim Thorpe farewell
- 9:00 AM split: rail-trail bike shuttle from White Haven, raft trip for the whitewater crew, scenic drive for the rest
- 12:30 PM all groups converge in Jim Thorpe - lunch and ice cream on the Victorian main street
- 2:30 PM pack out - I-80 and the Turnpike put every branch on a straight line home
📅 With Reunly
Build the Hickory Run State Park, Pennsylvania reunion schedule in minutes
Drag the sample itinerary above into Reunly's Schedule, add per-event RSVPs, and share one link with the whole family. Rosi (our AI) fills in gaps from your group size and dates.
Reunion organizer tips
Reserve cabins, campsites, and a lakeside pavilion at PAReservations.com the day your date is set - Hickory Run draws from Philadelphia AND New York, so summer and foliage weekends book out fast.
Split lodging between park cabins, the campground, and a big Lake Harmony chalet 15 minutes away - the chalet (with its kitchen and game room) becomes the rainy-day headquarters and the cabins keep the campfire wing happy.
Anchor the main day at a Sand Spring Lake pavilion - beach, playground, grills, and parking in one footprint means zero shuttling for the stroller-and-grandparent set.
Time the Boulder Field for late afternoon into golden hour - the low light makes the rock sea glow, the crowds thin, and the group photo looks like another planet. Closed-toe shoes for every scrambler.
Do Hawk Falls as a morning outing - it is short enough for nearly everyone, and the rhododendron bloom in early July turns the glen into a garden.
Book the rail-trail bike shuttle for the all-ages adventure day: 26 gently downhill miles from White Haven to Jim Thorpe, ending at ice cream. Outfitters handle bikes, helmets, and the ride back.
Send the teens-and-uncles crew rafting on a dam-release weekend and let everyone else meet them in Jim Thorpe for dinner - the two groups converge 20 minutes from the park.
Pack layers even in July - the plateau sits 1,200-1,900 feet up and evenings drop into the 50s, which is exactly what makes the campfires great.
Stock groceries in White Haven or at the Blakeslee corridor on the drive in - inside the park it is a seasonal beach concession and s'mores supplies.
Bring buckets in late July and August - wild blueberries along the high trails are free dessert and the single best kid-pacifier in the park.
Bear-proof the camp: coolers in cars, food in cabin or campground storage - the park has a healthy black bear population and clean camps keep wildlife watching at binocular distance.
Run the whole three-village operation - cabin and campsite assignments, pavilion day, boulder-field call time, raft and shuttle headcounts - in Reunly, so one shared link keeps every branch on the same schedule.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet - Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch - with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists - auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app - she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your Hickory Run State Park, Pennsylvania reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags - no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
Does it cost anything to get into Hickory Run State Park?
No - entry, parking, the Boulder Field, Hawk Falls, and the Sand Spring Lake beach are all free, like every Pennsylvania state park. You pay only for reservations (pavilions, campsites, cabins) and optional outfitter adventures like rafting and bike shuttles.
What exactly is the Boulder Field?
A National Natural Landmark: a flat, open field of bare boulders roughly 400 by 1,800 feet, formed by freeze-thaw cycles at the edge of the last ice age glaciers and essentially unchanged for about 20,000 years. You can drive to its edge or hike in, and walking (carefully) out onto the rock sea is allowed - it is one of the most memorable free sights in the eastern US.
Can you swim at Hickory Run State Park?
Yes - Sand Spring Lake has a sandy swimming beach open in season, free of charge, with a gentle entry and a seasonal concession stand. Swimming is at the posted beach area only; the trout streams and Hawk Falls are for wading eyes, not swimmers.
Can a family group stay overnight inside Hickory Run?
Yes - the park has a large modern campground, rental cabins, and organized group camping for big crews, all reservable through PAReservations.com up to 11 months ahead. Cool plateau nights make it genuine campfire country even in midsummer.
How far is Hickory Run from Philadelphia and New York City?
About 1.75 hours from Philadelphia and 2 hours from New York City - the park sits at the junction of I-80 and the PA Turnpike Northeast Extension, which also puts Allentown at 45 minutes and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre under an hour. Few big forests anywhere are this reachable for two metro areas.
How do I reserve a pavilion or cabins at Hickory Run for a reunion?
Through the Pennsylvania state park reservation system at PAReservations.com, up to 11 months in advance. Cabins and summer-weekend pavilions near Sand Spring Lake are the first to go - and early-October foliage weekends book nearly as fast as July.
What adventure options are near the park for teens and active adults?
The Lehigh Gorge is the headline: outfitters in White Haven and Jim Thorpe run guided whitewater raft trips on dam-release weekends and shuttle-served bike rides down the 26-mile gorge rail-trail. Add the park's own 40+ miles of trails, trout streams, and boulder scrambling, plus Pocono ski areas ten minutes away in winter.
Is Hickory Run good for grandparents and mixed mobility levels?
Yes, with planning - the Sand Spring Lake day-use area and several pavilions are accessible with close parking, and the Boulder Field is drive-up viewable from its edge. Hawk Falls and the trail network are natural-surface; keep wheels to the lake area and overlooks and let the hikers report back.
Other reunion-friendly spots nearby
Helpful planning guides
The complete family reunion checklist
12-month, 6-month, and day-of checklists organizers actually use.
Read the guide →Family reunion budget guide
How to estimate, track, and split costs without spreadsheets.
Read the guide →Family reunion on a $2,500 budget
A real budget breakdown for a destination reunion under $2.5K.
Read the guide →