Many of the
County Links on the left will keep you specifically in Carbon County, home of the town of Jim Thorpe, also known as the "Switzerland of America" in the northeastern
PA Pocono Mountains. We add new listings and links on a regular basis.
Jim Thorpe, the county seat, was originally incorporated on January 26, 1850, as the borough of Mauch Chunk, an Indian name meaning "bear mountain." It was renamed in 1954 for the famous Indian athlete, who is buried there.
The Lehigh River, one of the finest and most popular whitewater rafting rivers in the East, winds through the heart of Carbon County. Whitewater season runs from early spring through June and then again in the fall. The month of June sees an explosion of the soft white petals of the mountain laurel, Pennsylvania's state flower.
Summertime means outdoor recreation and a wide array of activities from sightseeing and train rides to mountain biking and water-skiing. This is the season for festivals, fairs and flea markets. For historic house tours and horseback riding. For swimming, boating or picnicking or just plain relaxing at one of the many state and county parks.
Autumn brings the changing of the seasons. This is the season of Oktoborfests and Arts & Crafts Fairs, of flaming foliage excursions by train and flaming foliage festivals.
Blessed with a unique geography, Carbon County dazzled the adventurous travelers of the Victorian era, just as it attracts adventurers today. Aesthetically not much has changed of this unique landscape; written in 1877, the following passage is still valid today: "Such rough and tumble experience, climbing mountains, falling over rocks, exploring wild ravines, diving into coal mines, and riding on every description of conveyance which it has entered into the mind of man to run on." Home of the Lehigh Gorge State Park, Carbon County is an ideal place for hikers, cyclists, history buffs and adventurers.
