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Find hiking, biking, golf and every other outdoor activity you can imagine in Pennsylvania's picture-perfect mountains.

Planning an East Coast honeymoon? You’ve probably heard about the beauty of New York’s Adirondacks and Virginia’s Appalachians. But there’s another mountainous place in the mid-Atlantic to get you out of town and into the outdoors: the Poconos. This fresh expanse of countryside stretches across northeastern Pennsylvania, an under-two-hour drive from both Philadelphia and New York, and a six hour drive from Cleveland. Known for green hills and rushing rivers, the Poconos offer plenty of woodsy escapades for a couple looking for an active and quiet getaway. So get ready to hop on that bike, saddle up a horse or ease into a kayak—this is the summer camp you’ve been missing.

Slip Slidin’ Away

Each spring the Lehigh River fills with April showers, creating the perfect conditions for white-water rafting through mid-October. Don’t worry about being caught up in the current—on the rapids rating scale of 1 to 5, these are class 2 and 3. Take the adrenaline-filled 16-mile trip offered by Jim Thorpe River Adventures, which lasts anywhere from four to six hours. Just be sure to bring a towel,a windbreaker and a change of clothes—there’s no promising you won’t get wet. For more information call 570-325-4960 or visit jtraft.com.

Saddle Up

What better time to learn how to ride horseback than on your honeymoon? Mountain Creek Riding Stables offers leisurely jaunts that are perfect for beginners. You’ll learn to canter on the guided, one-hour trip through the woods along a sloping three-and-a-half-mile trail. When you’re done, you may just wish you registered for a pony of your own. For more information visit mtcreekstable.com.

Fore!

What’s the first thing you notice when you start driving around in the Poconos? All the golf courses. Book a room at the couples-only, romance-themed Caesars Pocono Palace Resort in Marshall’s Creek, and you can stay right on the green. The 189-room resort has its own nine-hole, par three course, and the tees are scattered across the property. All you have to do is rent a cart —they’ll throw in the clubs for free. For more information call 877-822-3333 or visit caesarspoconoresorts.com.
More serious golfers should book a tee time at The Great Bear Country Club, down the street. The 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed course has impressively contoured elevations and sculptured greens, and an experienced player will find the bunkers and uphill shots challenging. For more information visit greatbeargolf.com.

Pedal to the Mettle

Mountain biking isn’t just great exercise; it’s a wonderful way to explore the countryside. Again, you could check in at Caesars Pocono Palace Resort, and borrow one of the resort’s bicycles to tool around the property. But, if you have more time, consider renting an all-terrain mountain bike and getting out into the hills. Jim Thorpe is the place to go—you won’t be able to ignore the fact that practically every car in the town has a cycle or two tethered to the roof. Rent yours at Blue Mountain Sports, where each one comes equipped with a helmet and map. There are plenty of brands and styles—aficionados can choose from the popular Hardrock and Expedition Deluxe models. At Blue Mountain, you can catch a ride to the top of Lehigh Gorge or the popular Pocono Mountain Switchback Trail, then cycle your way down. When you feel the wind in your hair, you’ll know why dogs stick their heads out car windows—it’s a rush. If you want to stay in sporty Jim Thorpe, check out the 34-room Inn at Jim Thorpe. This hotel for nature lovers is located a stone’s throw from the Lehigh River and close to the bike trails. For more information call 800-329-2599 or visit innatjimthorpe.com.

Have Gorp, Will Hike

There are more trails in the Poconos than you can shake a walking stick at, and one of the best is at Bushkill Falls. Located in Delaware Water Gap National Park, this two-mile walk circles around eight different waterfalls and takes two hours to hike. The well-marked trail has rough-cut wooden railings, cut-stone stairways and plenty of scenic overlooks. Okay, so calling Bushkill the “Niagara of Pennsylvania” is a slightly overblown moniker—but it is a pretty spot. As you stretch your legs by the spray, keep your eyes open for the squirrels, gray foxes and raccoons that populate these woods, and breathe in the damp mountain air. For more information visit nps.gov/dewa.

Rolling on the River

The Delaware River is calm and mild compared to the Lehigh, with gentle drops that barely measure Class 1 on the rapid scale. It’s a great place for leisurely canoeing and kayaking. Book a day trip with Adventure Sports, and a pro will drive you out to the river’s edge and help you get going. Expect smooth sailing down the river in your tandem kayak or canoe. It’s like a sloshy amusement-park ride—and a great way to take in the sights. For more information call 570-223-0505 or visit adventuresports.com.

Yours for the Picking

In the fall, the Poconos’ many orchards yield trees full of apples and patches full of plump pumpkins. But, if you come in the summer, you can still take home baskets of warm-from-the-sun fruit: June is strawberry picking time; and July is sour cherry season. Heckman’s Orchard is open to visitors who want to pluck their own fruit right off the plants, and the staff provides kneeling pads to make picking strawberries off those low-to-the-ground plants more comfortable. It’s worth the effort—there’s nothing like feeding each other hand-picked fruit. For more information call 570-629-1191.

Catch of the Day

People who love fishing swear there’s nothing more relaxing than a day on the river with rod and reel in hand. And what could be better for a new marriage than an afternoon of shared solitude? From April through October, the Paradise Brook Trout Company stocks its preserve with Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout. Registration, tackle and bait cost a mere $5 per person, and you pay just $4 per pound for the fish you catch. Best of all, there’s a fish-cleaning service for an extra 10 cents per pound. Take your fresh catch home on ice and start looking for trout recipes. A quiet dinner for two is the perfect souvenir from your outdoor adventure. For more information visit paradisetrout.com.

For more information, call the Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau at 800-762-6667 or go to poconos.org.