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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Shawnee on Delaware
Base here 2 nights for the Delaware river and Shawnee Mountain in one stop; 1 night if you only need a bed off I-80.
Shawnee on Delaware is a small unincorporated community on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware Water Gap, built around the Shawnee Inn and Shawnee Mountain ski area. It works as a low-key base for river rafting, hiking and winter skiing, and it is a short drive from Bushkill Falls and the outlet malls at Tannersville. You need a car: there is no public transport in the valley.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Oct for river and hiking; Jan–Mar for skiing
- Avoid
- Nov (between seasons, many activities closed); peak summer weekends for crowds
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$90–140 excl. bed · Mid US$150–250 excl. bed · High US$300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Pennsylvania State Police (non-emergency) 717-783-5555
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | US$3–5 |
| Diner breakfast | US$10–16 |
| Casual lunch | US$14–22 |
| Sit-down dinner, per person | US$25–45 |
| Gasoline, per gallon | US$3.20–3.80 |
| Ski lift ticket, one day | US$60–100 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ABE · Lehigh Valley International
- About 1 h by car via I-78 and PA-33; check current service
- EWR · Newark Liberty International
- About 1 h 30 min by car via I-80; the usual gateway for international arrivals
- PHL · Philadelphia International
- About 2 h by car via I-476; check traffic on summer weekends
Typical fares
- Taxi, Shawnee to East Stroudsburg
- about US$35–50
- Car rental, one day
- from about US$60 plus fuel
- Bushkill Falls entry
- paid, seasonal; rates change by season
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is effectively required: there is no public transport in the valley. Taxi and van services run 24 h (numbers change, so ask at your lodging). Distances are short — the inn to the ski area is about 10 min by car — but the roads are two-lane and slow in winter.
See and do
Known for
- Shawnee Mountain ski area
- Delaware River rafting and canoeing
- Delaware Water Gap
- Bushkill Falls
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bushkill Falls | Car north on PA-209, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Delaware Water Gap | Car south on PA-611 or River Road, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Tannersville outlets | Car west on I-80 to exit 299, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| East Stroudsburg | Car south on PA-209 and US-209 Business, about 25 min | About 35 min |
| Hawley | Car north on PA-507 and US-6, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Shawnee Inn and River Road
- The resort itself, on the Delaware; walkable to the river and the golf course. Best if you want one address for everything.
- Route 209 corridor
- Motels and lodges strung along the highway; cheaper, but you drive to every activity.
- Shawnee Mountain base
- Closest beds to the ski lifts; book early for January–February weekends.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Is the river open today? | Is the river open today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No public transport: without a car you are dependent on taxis and rideshare, which can be thin late at night.
- Winter storms close or ice Route 209 and the ski access road: check conditions before driving.
- River activities run on seasonal schedules and can be cancelled by high water: confirm the day before.
- Cell coverage is patchy in the valley and along the Gap trails.
Low-crime rural area; the real risks are driving Route 209 in winter, fast water on the Delaware and unmarked trail junctions in the Gap. Tell someone your trail plan — cell coverage drops out.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Shawnee on Delaware yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Shawnee Mountain ski area
- Delaware River rafting and canoeing
- Delaware Water Gap
- Bushkill Falls
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau: www.poconomountains.com/
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources — Delaware Water Gap: www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateForests/DelawareWaterGap/
- Wikivoyage: Shawnee on Delaware, revision 4601393 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4601393
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Shawnee on Delaware
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Pennsylvania State Police (non-emergency)717-783-5555
No consulates in the Poconos; nearest consulates-general are in Philadelphia and New York.
Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/shawnee-on-delaware). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.