🛶 Enjoy the Poconos | Outdoorsy Newsletter

And a green sanctuary

Canoes took five women and their Outward Bound guides on a 35-mile, five-day journey down the Delaware, starting in Milford, Pa., and ending at the Delaware Water Gap.Read more

Published Nov. 3, 2023, 7:00 a.m. ET

We’ve officially reached the end of the “growing season.” Time to harvest and salvage what remains of my balcony garden.

☀️ Your weekend weather outlook: Bundle up and expect a mix of sun and clouds, with lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s.

There’s nothing like a little fresh air and nature to help you reset. Today, we’re decompressing with the help of fun in the Poconos, bear cuddles, and a tree-climbing hero.

— Paola Pérez

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The best things to do in the Poconos

Whether you’re looking for a good hike, some art and history, or just something for the kids to do, there’s plenty of fun in the Poconos. For outdoorsy activities, consider:

🌳 Seven Tubs Recreation Area. This is a must-see for nature lovers thanks to its series of massive, water-filled potholes (or “tubs,” hence the name), carved out by glacial meltwater, and its great hiking trails.

🌳 Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. At 70,000 acres spanning Pennsylvania and New Jersey, you have an almost endless amount of nature to take in — including some 100 miles of hiking trails and scenic roadways. (Secret spot: See Raymondskill Falls, the tallest waterfall in the state).

🌳 Pocono Whitewater Rafting. Spend a day out on the water! You can start slow and steady down the Lehigh River or try the more challenging rapids through Lehigh Gorge State Park if you are experienced.

Get your complete activities guide for your next Poconos getaway including other outdoor attractions, kids’ activities, museums, and more.

🐻 Counting and cuddling bear cubs

🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to Jason Nark. You’ll always find his work here.

Deep in the woods, down in a hole, Emily Carrollo is rooting through a jumble of warm, dark fur, looking for baby bears to cuddle.

A mother black bear, one of Pennsylvania’s largest mammals, fills up most of the den and, luckily, she’s fast asleep, thanks to hibernation and a woozy brew of tranquilizers delivered by dart.

There are approximately 15,000 black bears living in Pennsylvania, and this one found prime real estate to start a family. Some bears hibernate out in the open, under trees, or right on the ice of a frozen lake for some reason. This den is a deep dugout, camouflaged by a shroud of mountain laurel near Promised Land State Park in the Poconos.

Mom is fat and happy. It’s a tight squeeze.

“OK, that’s her butt,” Carrollo says, feeling her away around.

On this late-winter morning, Carrollo, the black bear program manager for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, led a team of biologists, game wardens, veterinarians, students, and onlookers into the forest to check up on this young family. The cubs would be weighed, have blood drawn, then be snuggled by guests for about an hour, before Carrollo put them back in. — Jason Nark (March 2023)

Keep reading to count (and cuddle with) cubs with Jason.

News worth knowing

Philly’s parks could use some TLC after a summer of heavy use. Volunteers are needed to clean up, plant trees and flower bulbs, and collect leaves for compost at any of 90 city parks before winter arrives. Love Your Park Fall Weekend runs Nov. 10 to 12.
Global offshore wind developer Orsted is pulling out of both of its projects scheduled to be built off the coast of New Jersey.
Gas-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and string trimmers not only emit a maddening whine but they also contribute significantly to air pollution in the Philadelphia region, according to a new report. This comes amid a growing movement to ban or restrict use of the blowers.
The state of Pennsylvania will work with a major natural gas producer to collect in-depth data on air emissions and water quality at well sites, enhance public disclosure of drilling chemicals and expand buffer zones.

Comfort in the trees

A filmmaker from Media, Pa., is telling his tree-climbing aunt’s heroic story through an award-winning short documentary.

As a kid, Andrew Nadkarni would always rave about his aunt Nalini Nadkarni’s accomplishments as a “perfect explorer and adventurer.” She once visited his elementary school, brought her mountain climbing gear and took the kids outside to demonstrate the journeys she braves to study canopy ecosystems all over the world.

But it wasn’t until much later that Andrew learned their family’s trauma and what pushed Nalini to begin escaping into treetops in the first place.

See Between Earth & Sky at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival through Nov. 12 and keep reading to learn why this adventurer seeks sanctuary in nature.

🍂 Your outdoorsy experience

Thanks to Outdoorsy readers Marc and Judy Wertheimer for sharing this awesome photo taken at the Laurels Preserve in Chester County.

Before you go

We’ve explored so much of our region together. Since this newsletter began, we:

🍓 Went berry-picking, birdwatching and learned how to hit the trail safely

🏕️ Explored new campsites, chased waterfalls (against TLC’s advice) and took a dip to beat the heat

🐕 Got loose with our best furry friends and looked up at the stars while pondering our existence

🎃 Followed the pumpkin patch road and took on apple-picking adventures

🥾 Scoped out the best hikes of the season and took scenic bike rides down the Shore and in Philadelphia

We covered a lot more ground in between, but now I want to hear from you.

📮 How many of these recommended activities did you try this season? Email me back and tell me about your experience for a chance to be featured as the most outdoorsy reader in the final edition of this newsletter. (Don’t forget some photos!)

Don’t forget to set your clocks back. See you for next week’s adventure.

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