Silver Birches- Hawley, PA

Silver Birches is one of the last remaining vintage lakeside Poconos resorts. A fabulous throwback to an earlier era, the sprawling property retains its original summer camp like vibe, albeit with updated rooms. A lovely retreat, it certainly reminds you why the area was once so popular. For those in the know, it still is.

In 1926, George and Rachel Singer watched as their former farm was flooded by the Pennsylvania Power & Light Company, during the creation of Lake Wallenpaupack. Capitalizing on the tourist boom that followed, in 1929 they constructed a fourteen bedroom lakeside inn, which they called Silver Birches. In 1943, Rachel’s sister purchased the hotel, acquired more land, built more rooms, and renamed it Ehrhardt’s.

The business thrived through the area’s midcentury heyday, offering the opportunity to swim, boat, and relax in the mountains. Cottages sprung up around the lake, and the resort continued to expand. The property remained in the Erhardt family until 2015, when it was purchased by the Genzlinger family, who own several other historic hotels in Hawley, including the Ledges and The Settlers Inn.

Following the acquisition, the property returned to its original name, Silver Birches, and underwent a major renovation. Although updated, the resort retains its vintage feel, including a shuffle ball court and lakeside pool. While the resort offers a variety of accommodations, from motel rooms to entire houses, historic hotel fans should stay at the original inn. Although most rooms across the property have fabulous views, the inn has the most character.

Having booked last minute, over a holiday weekend, there were no rooms available in the inn. We settled for The Sunset Cottage, which does have fabulous views of the lake, and a wonderful deck on which to enjoy them. However, the room itself was bland, decorated in various shades of brown. Perfectly comfortable, complete with a kitchenette and gas fireplace, but generic. Aside from a few nautical wall hangings, you would have no idea you were at a lake, let alone in the Poconos.

There is a casual restaurant with a large outdoor dining area adjacent to the resort, but you would be well served to take the complimentary shuttle to one of the other properties for dinner. At the Ledges, you can dine by a waterfall, while at Settlers there are individual dining cabins in their garden.

Although open all year, the warmer months are the busiest at the resort, followed by the fall. For those looking to return to summer camp, this is the perfect venue.