Pennsylvania

Choose Your Pace: A Hiking Adventure on the Appalachian Trail

Program No. 14629RJ
Hike a stretch of the Appalachian Trail in the Pocono Mountains at your own pace, explore trails each day and learn about the region’s history from a local historian and park ranger.

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At a Glance

Lace up your boots and discover a section of the Appalachian Trail in the Pocono Mountains — a stretch of NJ & PA prized for its outstanding views. Pass through the picturesque Delaware Water Gap and follow rocky ridges a few thousand feet above sea level. On daily hikes chosen by level of challenge, learn trail orientation, hiking safety and the history and preservation of a national treasure while wrapped in nature's beauty and serenity.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Choose Your Pace
Each day, choose from multiple hiking options based on your desired level of challenge and pace, ranging from 3-10 miles on rocky terrain. Elevations of 500-1,200 feet.

What You'll Learn

  • Enjoy hikes led by experienced, knowledgeable experts on the renowned Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
  • Get acquainted with the environment of the Poconos on a walk with a local naturalist.
  • Learn about the region from a local historian

General Notes

Airport transfer at added cost. The Retreat Difference: This unique, often basic and no-frills experience at a Road Scholar Retreat includes opportunities for early morning exercise, interaction with the local community for insight into local life, an authentic farm-to-table or locally sourced meal and a live performance or event.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Rick Koval
Rick Koval is a longtime resident of Luzerne County and a professional naturalist, consultant, wildlife photographer and award-winning outdoor writer. He was the director of land conservation for the North Branch Land Trust before becoming the head naturalist for Skytop Lodge in the Poconos. Rick is a local television personality as a naturalist on the popular show, “Pennsylvania Outdoor Life.” He is currently writing a book on the native orchids of the Poconos.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Rick Koval
Rick Koval View biography
Rick Koval is a longtime resident of Luzerne County and a professional naturalist, consultant, wildlife photographer and award-winning outdoor writer. He was the director of land conservation for the North Branch Land Trust before becoming the head naturalist for Skytop Lodge in the Poconos. Rick is a local television personality as a naturalist on the popular show, “Pennsylvania Outdoor Life.” He is currently writing a book on the native orchids of the Poconos.
Profile Image of Sandy Walter
Sandy Walter View biography
Sandy Walter is a native of Pennsylvania who has been teaching skiing for 18 years and recently became certified as a personal trainer. She has rafted and hiked the Grand Canyon, as well as rafted, kayaked and canoed on the Lehigh and Delaware rivers. Sandy has completed numerous long-distance cycling trips, including from West Virginia to Pennsylvania, from Portland, Maine, to Penn., as well as throughout Italy. She has also hiked in the Andes in Peru and several sections of the Appalachian Trail.
Profile Image of Midge McClosky
Midge McClosky View biography
Midge McClosky is the cultural program director for the Shawnee Institute, executive director of the Shawnee Playhouse, and the artistic director of the Worthington Players. Before moving to Shawnee, Midge worked as a professional actress, singer, and dancer performing musical theatre in 49 of the 50 states. Her extensive credits cross over into film, television, commercials, voiceovers and live industrials. She and Chris, her husband of more than two decades, have two grown sons.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Year
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
Date
Nov 03 - Nov 08
  • May 05 - May 10
  • May 12 - May 17
  • Jun 02 - Jun 07
  • Sep 15 - Sep 20
  • Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • Oct 27 - Nov 01
  • Nov 03 - Nov 08
  • Nov 17 - Nov 22
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Select trip year and date
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
Nov 03 - Nov 08
  • May 05 - May 10
  • May 12 - May 17
  • Jun 02 - Jun 07
  • Sep 15 - Sep 20
  • Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • Oct 27 - Nov 01
  • Nov 03 - Nov 08
  • Nov 17 - Nov 22
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
13 meals
5 B 3 L 5 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Welcome Reception, Dinner, Orientation, Class
Shawnee on Delaware
D
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

Activity note: Inn check-in from 4:30 p.m. Remember to bring your name-tag (sent previously).

Afternoon: CHECK-IN: Hotel Room Check-in is available from 4:30 p.m. on. PROGRAM REGISTRATION: After you check in at the front desk and get settled into your room, join your fellow Road Scholars in the hospitality room to socialize at the Welcome Reception until dinner begins. Remember to bring your name-tag (sent previously). This is a Road Scholar Retreats program. Our programming at Retreat locations includes opportunities for light morning exercise, interaction with members of the local community, and evening entertainment. We will begin each day with an invigorating stretch session. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At 7 p.m. we'll enjoy dinner at the Inn, where you'll have the opportunity to choose from an "American Home-style" themed buffet offering choices of salads and entrées (one of which will be vegetarian), plus vegetables, rice, potatoes, or pasta, fresh fruit, and coffee, tea (iced or hot), water; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: ORIENTATION: After dinner the Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Daily Schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. CLASS: Next, we’ll have a class on hiking safety to prepare you for hiking on the Appalachian Trail, led by a trail expert. Following our Hiking Safety Class, we'll watch some video selections to see a glimpse onto the trails we will be hiking. This film clip captures the essence of this historic pathway, fascinating characters, beautiful scenery, and the small town America’s generosity of spirit Hikers will have the option of choosing between hikes of different levels of difficulty, organized into groups based on preference and ability. Indicated times are approximate.

DAY
2
Mt. Minsi (PA) Hikes, Historical Presentation
Shawnee on Delaware
B,L,D
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

Activity note: Three hiking options to choose from in Pennsylvania on The Appalachian Trail for today: Moderate (Associates) Hike: a 3 mile hike with plenty of rest stops. Elevation gain is up to 600 feet. Moderately Challenging (Bachelors) Hike: a 4.5 mile hike with several rest stops and rocky terrain with an elevation gain of 900 feet. Challenging (Masters) Hike: a 6.5 mile hike with rocky terrain, a faster pace with less rest stops and an elevation gain of over 900 feet.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the Inn’s River Room restaurant. Enjoy your choice of hot and/or cold breakfast selections from fruit to home-made granola, pancakes or French toast, a variety of breakfast meats, an omelet station, and more. Before we depart for the trails, we'll make our own lunches at the Inn. A variety of breads, cheeses, meats, condiments, fruit, snacks and water will be available.

Morning: After a morning stretch our hikers will have the option of choosing between hikes of different levels of difficulty, organized into groups based on preference and ability. You can choose a 3, 4.5 or 6.5 plus mile hike, all offering beautiful views on The Appalachian Trail. Today we'll hike Mt. Minsi, PA as an introduction to hiking on The Appalachian Trail. Our first hike will help you determine your comfort level hiking on the rocky terrain.

Lunch: We’ll stop at a scenic spot along the trail to have the lunches we made for ourselves this morning.

Afternoon: We will continue our hikes, with the leader pointing out unique aspects of the local environment.

Dinner: We'll enjoy dinner at the Inn, where you'll have the opportunity to enjoy our "Mexican" themed buffet.

Evening: We’ll gather for a historical presentation in Shawnee's own museum. This lecture features a fascinating introduction to the rich history of our area presented by a local Historian.

DAY
3
Camp Mohican (NJ) Morning & Afternoon Hikes, Evening Concert
Shawnee on Delaware
B,L,D
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

Activity note: We begin to explore New Jersey's section of the AT. The Moderate (Associates) Hike will be a 4 mile hike with plenty of rest stops and similar terrain to yesterday's hike. Today's Moderately Challenging (Bachelors) Hike will once again experience rocky terrain with gains of over 500 feet in elevation. The Challenging (Masters) Hike will move at a faster pace covering over 9 miles of the Rocky AT with gains of almost 900 feet in elevation.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the Inn’s River Room restaurant. Enjoy your choice of hot and/or cold breakfast selections from fruit to home-made granola, pancakes or French toast, a variety of breakfast meats, an omelet station, and more. Before we depart for the trails, we'll make our own lunches at the Inn. A variety of breads, cheeses, meats, condiments, fruit, snacks and drinks will be available.

Morning: Hikers will have the option of choosing between hikes of different levels of difficulty, organized into groups based on preference and ability. You can choose a 3, 6.8 or 9.5 mile hike, all offering beautiful views. Today, after our morning stretch, we all start at Camp Mohican and hike along The Appalachian Trail with our expert guides to a variety of beautiful views and destinations. The Moderate Hike will start at a popular AT crossroad. The Moderately Challenging Hike will head south on the AT to Raccoon Ridge, which has a 360 degree view! The Challenging Hike will head North on the AT to enjoy glorious views of New Jersey and New York on the way to Crater Lake.

Lunch: We’ll stop at a scenic spot along the trail to have the lunches we made for ourselves this morning.

Afternoon: We will continue our hikes, with the leader pointing out fascinating aspects of the local environment.

Dinner: Brick Oven Pizza at the ShawneeCraft Brewery.

Evening: The Shawnee Institute concert series, open to the public, presents a variety of performing groups throughout the year. In tonight’s concert, we’ll hear local musicians. This is a great opportunity for community engagement with the audience member and performers! Please note that an optional donation basket is passed for the performers.

DAY
4
Naturalist Walk (PA), Free Time, Animal Presentation
Shawnee on Delaware
B,D
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

Activity note: Today's hike will be a nature walk for all. This hike will be just over 3 miles and offer moderately rocky terrain, elevation under 500 feet and a slower "learning" pace. Hiking Boots and Trek Poles are still required.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the Inn’s River Room restaurant. Enjoy your choice of hot and/or cold breakfast selections from fruit to home-made granola, pancakes or French toast, a variety of breakfast meats, an omelet station, and more.

Morning: We will begin the day with an invigorating stretch. Led by a biology professor/naturalist, this morning features a 3 mile nature walk around Lake Lenape and into the town of Delaware Water Gap, which is a thru-hiker favorite stop. On our scenic nature walk, we'll learn about edible vegetation, geology, wildlife and exquisite plant life, while observing ecosystems.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. There will be two shuttles returning to the Shawnee Inn from Delaware Water Gap. The first will be immediately following the hike (around 11 am), allowing you to have lunch at the resort or to drive into Stroudsburg if you have your own vehicle. The second will allow you to explore the town of Delaware Water Gap and to have lunch there. The second shuttle will return to the Shawnee Inn at 12:30 pm.

Afternoon: Free Afternoon. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort has many offerings, such as a Spa, Watercraft and Bicycle rentals, a Pontoon Boat Ride and Axe Throwing. The concierge and group leader can both assist you in finalizing these plans.

Dinner: For Dinner, we'll enjoy the "Pennsylvania Favorites" buffet featuring locally sourced food at the Inn.

Evening: Join us for a LIVE animal presentation from The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center! Gain insight to animal senses and the physical adaptations that allow them to survive. The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center was founded in 1983 and incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1988. Licensed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the PWRC serves Monroe, Lehigh, Northampton, Wayne, Pike and Luzerne Counties. The facility takes in more than 2,400 animals annually including fawns, owls, hawks, falcons, eagles, squirrels, rabbits, songbirds, foxes, raccoons, and bears.

DAY
5
Dunnfield Creek/Sunfish Pond Hikes (NJ), Farewell Dinner
Shawnee on Delaware
B,L,D
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

Activity note: Today we'll once again offer 3 hiking groups. The Moderate (Associates) Hike will be 4 miles with a moderate gain. The Moderately Challenging (Bachelors) Hike will be 6.5 miles with rocky terrain and over 900 feet of elevation gain. The Challenging (Masters) Hike will be over 9 miles with rocky terrain and 700 feet of elevation gain. Both the 6.5 and 9 mile hikes will visit the popular AT destination; Sunfish Pond.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the Inn’s River Room restaurant. Enjoy your choice of hot and/or cold breakfast selections from fruit to home-made granola, pancakes or French toast, a variety of breakfast meats, an omelet station, and more. Before we depart for the trails, we'll make our own lunches at the Inn. A variety of breads, cheeses, meats, condiments, fruit, snacks and drinks will be available.

Morning: Today is our last adventure as a group on The Appalachian Trail. Once again, after our morning stretch, you’ll have the option of breaking into one of three groups based on your preference. Those venturing out on the 4 mile hike will be along part of the Dunnfield Creek Trail. The trail runs along the Dunnfield Creek which is a designated Wild Trout Stream, supporting a healthy population of native brook trout. The trail follows the stream through a mature hemlock and mixed hardwood ravine with numerous small cascades along the way. Those opting for the 6.5 or 9 mile hikes will venture to Sunfish Pond, a glacially carved lake and a highlight to the AT, and finish their hikes along Dunnfield Creek. It's a great sense of accomplishment reaching Sunfish Pond and usually a good opportunity to run into some thru-hikers along the way.

Lunch: We’ll stop at a scenic spot along the trail to have the lunches we made for ourselves this morning.

Afternoon: After lunch we'll wrap up our hike and return to the Inn for some down time before dinner.

Dinner: Our farewell dinner will be extra special! Enjoy a lovely evening with new Road Scholar friends.

Evening: We’ll gather for a fun night of open-mic entertainment at the ShawneeCraft Brewery to reminisce about our incredible adventures! Program concludes after class.

DAY
6
Program Concludes
Shawnee on Delaware
B

Activity note: Check-out is by 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: Breakfast will be in the Inn’s River Room restaurant. Enjoy your choice of hot and/or cold breakfast selections from fruit to home-made granola, pancakes or French toast, a variety of breakfast meats, an omelet station, and more.

Morning: After breakfast, the program will conclude. Checkout of rooms is by 11 a.m. You may still take advantage of the hotel's amenities until your departure. We hope you have enjoyed your Road Scholar learning adventure and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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