Less than a two-hour drive from both New York City and Philadelphia, the Poconos have been a popular getaway spot since the mid-19th Century. The fresh air, the mountains and an abundance of trout, bears and deer originally drew sportsmen to the area (of course travel time was considerably longer than two hours in those days).

The advent of railroads was a boon to the region, and by the late 1800s vacationers seeking relief from big city stress found their way to the mountain breezes and simplicity of life in the burgeoning Pennsylvania vacation land.

Summer resorts and boarding houses sprang up, mostly in small towns along the Delaware River such as Milford, Stroudsburg and Delaware Water Gap, where guests could enjoy carriage rides, boating, swimming, hiking and fishing.

All this, of course, is a far cry from the couples-only resorts with their heart-shaped tubs and 7-foot-tall champagne glass whirlpool baths that enticed newlyweds to the Poconos in droves in the latter part of the 20th Century. Those resorts still exist, but today they are part of a mix of accommodations that also include comfy bed and breakfast inns, mom and pop motels, swanky country inns and lodges and the requisite chain hotels.

In addition to honeymooners, families and day-trippers also love the Poconos. Most come, like their predecessors, for the abundance of year-round recreational activities. I visited the area recently while on a work trip and can attest to the variety of outdoorsy options. You’d be hard-pressed to find a company still offering carriage rides, but there’s no shortage of contemporary choices.

One of the most popular (and versatile) locations is the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Centered along a 40-mile stretch of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the scenic recreation area is a favorite spot for canoeing, kayaking, boating, fishing and camping and has numerous trails, including a 27-mile piece of the legendary Appalachian Trail.

Three beautiful cascading waterfalls are all easily reached by short treks. U.S. 209, which runs through the center of much of the national recreation area, is the main access road. Bushkill Falls, which calls itself “The Niagara of Pennsylvania,” is probably the best known of the trio and is quite lovely, though it’s not nearly as impressive as its New York counterpart.

Bushkill is actually a series of eight falls, all of which can be admired from four trails, each marked a different color. The Green Trail, the shortest, leads to a lookout point for the Main Falls (the hike took my husband and I approximately 15 minutes). One thing to note: Bushkill Falls is privately owned and has an entrance fee; the other two falls are free.

There’s a quick hike from the parking lot to reach the upper portion of Raymondskill Falls, Pennsylvania’s highest. The trail is lush and verdant, and we were the only ones there, making it very quiet and peaceful.

About five or six miles away is Dingmans Falls, the state’s second tallest cataract. A fairly level, quarter-mile boardwalk takes you to a vantage point at the bottom of the falls; if you want to go to the top of the falls, be prepared to climb some steep stairs.

I wish someone had warned us about the chance of encountering swarms of teensy flying critters. Take my advice and bring some type of bug repellant with you!

Whitewater rafting has a slew of intrepid followers as well. You can enjoy a serene float trip or experience Class III action on the Lehigh River. Operators based in Jim Thorpe include Jim Thorpe River Adventures and Pocono Whitewater Rafting; Whitewater Challengers Raft Tours is based in Weatherly.

In the northern reaches of the Poconos is Lake Wallenpaupack, one of the state’s largest man-made lakes (it has 52 miles of shoreline) and is a favorite for just about any water-based activity. In summer folks come to camp along its scenic shores, fish, sail and water ski, and there were a good number of vacationers doing just that when we were there. The area is especially scenic in fall when the leaves change color.

When the weather turns cold, thoughts turn to the multitude of ski resorts the Pocono Mountains are known for. While definitely not Vail or Vermont (elevations barely reach more than 2,000 feet and artificial snow is common), the Poconos have a comfortable neighborhood appeal that offers something for everyone.

In addition to traditional downhill skiing, visitors can also try snow tubing, snowboarding, ice skating and cross-country skiing. Major resorts include:

• Alpine Mountain Ski & Snow Tubing Center (Analomink)
• Big Boulder Ski Area (Lake Harmony)
• Blue Mountain Ski Area (Palmerton)
• Camelback Mountain Resort (Tannersville)
• Jack Frost Mountain (Blakeslee)
• Shawnee Mountain (Shawnee on Delaware)
• Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain (Lackawaxen)
• Tanglwood Ski Area (Tafton)