The questions travelers actually Google before they arrive — and the answers you'd get from a friend who lives on Lake Wallenpaupack.
Getting there & around
Logistics
What's the closest airport to Lake Wallenpaupack?
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International (AVP) is the nearest with commercial service, about 45 minutes southwest. Newark (EWR) and New York's airports run closer to two hours east, but carry far more flight options — many visitors fly into Newark and drive up.
How big is Lake Wallenpaupack?
It's the largest lake in the Poconos — 5,700 acres, 13 miles long, with 52 miles of shoreline. It's a reservoir, not a natural lake, built in 1926 by damming Wallenpaupack Creek for hydroelectric power, which is why the shoreline reads more engineered than glacial.
Groceries, gas, urgent care
Essentials
Where's the closest full grocery store to Lake Wallenpaupack?
Weis Markets on Village Center Drive in Hawley — recently remodeled with a beer-and-wine cafe and an expanded meat and produce section, open 7am to 9pm daily. It's the lake's only full-service grocery; anything bigger means a drive toward Honesdale or Scranton.
Where's the closest urgent care to Lake Wallenpaupack?
Lake Region Urgent Care on Spruce Street in Hawley, open seven days with on-site x-rays and suturing. For anything more serious, Wayne Memorial Hospital's emergency department in Honesdale is about twenty minutes away — a Level IV trauma center and certified stroke center.
Where to eat
Food & drink
What's the best waterfront restaurant on Lake Wallenpaupack?
The Dock on Wallenpaupack, right on the water with live music weekly and a deck built for groups. Gresham's Chop House is the fine-dining answer for steaks and a formal sunset view; Capri Restaurant in Lakeville has held the ten-mile lake view since 1958.
Where's a good brewery near Lake Wallenpaupack?
Wallenpaupack Brewing Company on Welwood Avenue in Hawley won three gold medals at the 2022 World Beer Awards — a real destination stop, not just a local pour, with a full kitchen menu. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
What's worth doing
Things to do
What's the one thing worth doing at Lake Wallenpaupack?
Claws 'N' Paws Wild Animal Park, a private zoo on Ledgedale Road that's grown from one trail in 1974 to five trails and over 120 species — hand-feed giraffes and parrots, then catch the daily Animal Ambassador show. Open mid-April through late October only.
What's a good rainy-day plan near Lake Wallenpaupack?
Glass — wine.bar.kitchen at the Ledges Hotel overlooks a waterfall through the Wallenpaupack Creek gorge, indoor seating included, for a tapas dinner regardless of weather. Costa's Family Fun Park has covered laser tag and virtual reality if the group needs something more active.
On the water & on the trail
Outdoors
Where can I rent a boat on Lake Wallenpaupack?
New Wave Marina in Greentown, formerly Pine Crest Marina, rents pontoons, deck boats, speedboats, kayaks, and runabouts by the half-day, full-day, or multi-day, and also sells boats and slips. Several other marinas ring the lake if their fleet is booked out.
Is there a free boat launch on Lake Wallenpaupack?
Mangan Cove, off Route 590 near Wilsonville, is the lake's only free public launch, run by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission with parking for about 48 trailers. Four other Brookfield-owned launches around the lake charge a fee, waived for campers.
Memorial Day through Labor Day for the public beach's lifeguarded hours and Costa's Family Fun Park's full season. Claws 'N' Paws runs a bit longer, mid-April through late October. Boat rentals and most restaurants wind down noticeably once September ends.