How to Spend a Weekend in and Around the Charming Town of Honesdale
Where to find adorable Airbnbs, great hikes, and fun gift shops near this little Poconos town.
Looking for where to stay and things to do in Honesdale during a weekend getaway? Check into this Camp Caitlin cabin rental. Photograph by Natalie Chitwood
The triangle of Honesdale (read more on Honesdale here), Hawley and Narrowsburg, New York, makes for a wonderful weekend getaway.
When to Go
Summer and fall are the best seasons. Keep tabs on Honesdale’s Roots & Rhythm music festival, the Wally Lake Fest at Lake Wallenpaupack, Canaltown’s movie festivals, and performances at the Cooperage.
Where to Stay
Settlers Hospitality
This Hawley-based hospitality group includes three local pet-friendly hotels (the Arts & Crafts-style Settlers Inn is the most comfortable) and 37 stand-alone rental homes. Coming this month: co-working spaces for those decamping for longer stays.
Camp Caitlin
Bushwick set designer Caitlin Cowger renovated this cool collection of camp-themed Airbnbs herself. (URBN has staged more than one catalog shoot in the homes.) Head to the one in Beach Lake for a nature-focused retreat.
Inside a Camp Caitlin cabin rental. Photograph by Natalie Chitwood
Wonder
Rest your head right above Main Street in Honesdale in one of these modern, spacious loft-style apartments, which come equipped with full kitchens, seating areas, and luxurious walk-in showers.
Moonriver Inn
Nestled just off the town’s main drag, this Narrowsburg property combines modern amenities (Nespresso machines, flat-screen TVs) with quaint country touches (like a claw-foot soaking tub in the Sunrise bedroom).
What to Do
Get Out on the Trails
Prompton State Park, Irving Cliff, and the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary are prime for hikes. Honesdale’s Sawmill Cycles can direct you to the best biking paths, or set up a guided group adventure (from rock climbing to snowshoeing) through its in-house Northeast Wilderness Experience outfit.
Get Out on the River
Cruise the Upper Delaware in kayaks and canoes from Lander’s River Trips at the Narrowsburg Campgrounds, or, for just $6 a day, float along in an inner tube from Lou’s Tubes at Skinners Falls.
Gather is a great spot to shop for gifts. Photograph by Natalie Chitwood
Go Shopping
Pop by Honesdale’s Gather for great gifts. In Narrowsburg, standouts include Maison Bergogne, Nest, the Velvet Maple and Sunny’s Pop, a Cali-cool shop run by Mark Ruffalo’s wife.
Where to Eat & Drink
Native
Dinner at this seasonal farm-to-table joint, where two former Safran Turney staffers turn out savory small plates with ingredients sourced almost exclusively at nearby farms, is an absolute must.
Check out Native in Honesdale. Photograph by Natalie Chitwood
Bà & Me
The Honesdale outpost of Nhi Mundy’s area chainlet will be your lunch go-to for Vietnamese tacos, tofu rice bowls and delicious pho when it reopens this winter in its new space on Main Street.
The Laundrette
At this Narrowsburg gem, sourdough pizza and seasonal veggies are served, in warmer months, on a patio overlooking the Delaware River.
Cochecton Fire Station
Until COVID restrictions lift, you can’t sit inside this beautiful watering hole just north of Narrowsburg, but you can order its swizzles and Mules as doubles to go.
Here & Now Brewing Company
Taps change almost daily at this funky spot. Saisons and IPAs are brewed through a seven-barrel steam system and served alongside elevated twists on traditional bar fare.
Published as “Come On Up” in the Honesdale feature in the November 2020 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
