A microadventure makes it easy to fit adventure into our busy lives. Here’s how to microadventure in NEPA.
You don’t have to wait for the weekend or plan a huge excursion to explore the world around you.
Scaling a mountain or embarking on a multi-day backpacking trip might sound thrilling, but adventures can also be simpler and smaller—and possible to fit into an ordinary Wednesday.
This is the idea behind microadventures. British adventurer Alastair Humphreys, who coined the term, describes them as “simple expeditions and challenges [that] are close to home, affordable, and easy to organize.” They remind us that “adventure is all around us, at all times,” Humphreys writes, and make adventure “accessible to normal people, in normal places.”
In fact, microadventuring in northeastern Pennsylvania might have you convinced the area isn’t so normal after all. With miles of trails, sparkling waterfalls, and stunning vistas, there’s plenty to explore without traveling far or taking several days off.
We’ve put together six ideas for setting off on a microadventure in NEPA. So, what are you doing next Tuesday?
Visit a waterfall before work
Sometimes the easiest way to squeeze some adventure into your life is by squeezing a few more hours into your day. You might set your alarm a couple of hours earlier so that you can visit one of NEPA’s incredible waterfalls before it’s time to settle in at your desk or clock in at work.
There are dozens of waterfalls you can check out across the region, whether you’re visiting the more than 20 named waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park (Adams Falls is easily reachable, not far from the road), any of the major waterfalls within Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, or the urban falls inside Nay Aug Park in Lackawanna County’s Scranton.
Bonus: Bring a simple breakfast, like muffins and coffee, to enjoy at a nearby picnic area.
Catch a view of the sunrise or sunset
Sure, you can see the sunrise or sunset from your backyard, but the show is extra special when seen from a panoramic overlook. Head to a scenic vista either early in the morning or around sunset to see the fantastic display of pastel pinks, purples, and blues of the sunrise or the fiery reds and oranges of the sunset.
You might visit Wyalusing Rocks Overlook in Bradford County, which gives a fantastic view of the surrounding landscape from where it sits above the Susquehanna River, or Irving Cliff in Wayne County, a scenic viewpoint high above Honesdale. A little farther south, the vistas at Big Pocono State Park in Monroe County offer big views of three states.
Try dispersed camping in a state forest
Much of the writing of original microadventurer Humphreys suggests “wild camping”—finding somewhere rural and quiet and setting up your sleeping bag for the night. That sounds incredible, but the Pennsylvania State Forest system does make it a little easier (and less nerve-wracking if we’re honest) by offering scenic dispersed camping, allowing you to camp outside of undeveloped campgrounds along state forest roads.
At these “motorized roadside camping” sites, you bring your car and set up camp either next to it or after a short hike. Reservations are required and start at $10 per night for Pennsylvania residents.
Dispersed camping might sound ambitious, but the beauty of a microadventure is that you don’t have to bring much or plan a long trip. You can just pack your sleeping bag and some food and water and go for one night. (At some roadside sites, you can even avoid bringing a tent if you’re able to lie down in your car!) Still, these sites have few or no facilities, so be sure you’re prepared to rough it.
We recommend camping at Delaware State Forest in the Pocono Mountains, which has 29 roadside campsites across three camping areas. These dispersed sites aren’t in campgrounds, but each has a fire ring and a picnic table.
Camp for a night at a state park
If you’re not ready for dispersed camping, or if you’d just prefer a campground with some modern facilities (like flush toilets), you could camp just for a night in a state park—even on a weekday!
Find the closest state park with a campground near you, book a campsite, and head there after work one day. Set up a tent if you need or lay your sleeping bag down in your car. You could bring a camp stove, but since microadventures are about making adventure accessible, there’s nothing wrong with bringing some readymade food or even takeout. Sure, you could make a fire with logs from the camp store, but you could also just sit at the campsite picnic table and appreciate the stillness of the woods.
The best part of this night will be sleeping under the stars on a normal Thursday, and you’ll still be able to head to work in the morning.
Take a mini hike
NEPA is home to miles of trails just begging to be trekked, and you don’t have to plan a long, weekend day hike to enjoy them. Take a microadventure by way of a mini hike on a shorter hiking trail, easily accessible during the week or just a weekend morning.
You can easily find trails by checking out the nearest state park or by looking at the AllTrails app, which lists trails by length and distance away. You might take a 1-mile (or less!) jaunt in a state park or even in an urban forest you’ve never visited. You could also hike a short section of a longer trail, such as a stretch of the 38-mile D&H Rail-Trail, which mostly follows the eastern border of Susquehanna County.
Bonus: Download the Merlin Bird ID app to easily identify birds around you by the sounds they make—you can just set the app to record and watch as it lights up with the names of birds you’re hearing. (You can also use the app to identify birds by their appearance.)
Explore local street art
While the original ethos behind microadventuring is about exploring the wilderness, we think it extends beyond the woods. After all, many cities in northeastern Pennsylvania are filled with extraordinary street art that is both fun to find and to take in.
Take Lackawanna County, which has its own mural trail with 70 murals to be found in Scranton, Dunmore, and other towns. You can explore downtown Scranton to find more than a dozen murals, including one dedicated to the hit NBC show “The Office,” which was set in Scranton, or head north or south to see farther-flung murals in Carbondale or around Montage Mountain.
In the Pocono Mountains, head to Monroe County’s Stroudsburg, where you can find more than a dozen murals painted throughout downtown Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg.
