10 Awesome Poconos, PA Engagement Photo Locations

Whether you're local or looking to get away from a big city, there are some amazing Poconos engagement photo session locations to be found. In case you're not aware, the Pocono Mountains is a great area to escape into nature with plenty of wooded areas that hide amazing views, waterfalls, and more. 

On our list of Poconos engagement session locations, you'll find some great options we've been too before and have loved. Any of them resonate with you? Let's plan for your engagement pictures!

Hickory Run State Park - Hawk Falls Trail

Where's it located? Albrightsville, PA

One of the most popular Poconos engagement session location for us is easily Hawk Falls at Hickory Run State Park. This is an easy half mile in-and-out trail that has a ton of great locations for photos. At the base of the trail is, of course, the falls themselves - but along the way you'll be treated to great river views and rows of rhododendrons, which bring the place to life with color all seasons of the year.

Sample galleries:
- Kelsey + Sam Winter Engagement Photos
- Gabby + Troy Winter Engagement Photos
- Olivia + Chris Fall Engagement Photos
- Kim + Jantzen Summer Engagement Photos

Hickory Run State Park - Shades of Death Trail

Where's it located? Jim Thorpe, PA

In another section of Hickory Run State Park is a smaller, less trafficked trail called "Shades of Death." Despite the spooky name, it's actually a beautiful location with a lot of great variety. At the start of the trail, there's some great mossy spots and a man-made waterfall thats a part of a dam for a small reservoir. For the more adventurous, we've discovered some small offbeat natural waterfalls that are really awesome (as seen in the pic above!)

Sample galleries:
- Kim + Jantzen - Summer Couple's Photos
- Melody + John - Fall Engagement Photos

Hickory Run State Park - Chapel Area

Where's it located? Jim Thorpe, PA

Close to "Shades of Death" is the Hickory Run Chapel. This is a nice little spot for mixing up the backdrops with something a little different. Our favorite part, though, is the small little waterfalls at this location that are really accessible - a great choice for those who maybe don't want as extensive hiking. 

Sample galleries:
- Vanessa + George Summer Engagement Photos 
- Kim + Jantzen Summer Couple's Photos

Hickory Run State Park - Boulder Field

Where's it located? Lake Harmony, PA

The last really memorable location at Hickory Run (yes, there's a ton of great spots at this one park as you can see!) is the boulder field. This is a truly jaw dropping location the first time you see it, just because it's so distinct and unique. The stones were created here during the last Ice Age, and the backdrops (particularly around sunset) are really amazing. Fall foliage is also crazy gorgeous here, too!

Sample galleries:
- Jill + Spencer Fall Elopement
- Vanessa + George Summer Engagement Photos
- Kim + Jantzen Summer Couple's Photos

Slateford Falls

Where's it located? Bangor, PA

Moving away from Hickory Run now, Slateford Falls is a real hidden gem at the start of the Delaware Water Gap. From the few times we've been there, the location is very lightly trafficked, which makes it particularly great if you'd prefer more quiet during your session. Slateford has 3 main waterfalls, with one being really accessible from the parking area, and the other two requiring a little more adventurous hiking to get too. All of them are unique and beautiful in their own ways. We love this place a lot!

Sample galleries:
- Chelsea + Mike Couple's Photos

Tank Hollow Vista

Where's it located? Penn Forest Township, PA

From all our research, the Tank Hollow Vista is one of the best scenic views in the Pocono areas we could find. While the Poconos is a mountain range, there doesn't seem to be too many great overlooks that give sweeping views like this. More than that though, many of the views that are out there tend to be overrun with people and are practically designed as tourist traps. Tank Hollow is actually a little tricky to find if you don't know exactly what to look for, as it's located off a dirt road in state game lands, and is a mostly unmarked trail. But don't let that scare you - it's a beautiful location if you're wanting mountain views instead of waterfalls. The trail there is fairly short (around half a mile) and there's some great photo opportunities as we walk through the woods, too!

Sample galleries:
- Chelsea + Matt Anniversary Photos

Mauch Chunk Lake

Where's it located? Jim Thorpe, PA

One of the more popular areas in Jim Thorpe, particularly for summer vacationers, is Mauch Chunk Lake. For engagement photos, we managed to find a spot along the lake that is usually pretty quiet, and stays away from all the crowds hitting the beach. This is a really great natural location that has (of course) the lake itself, as well as a couple little spots in the woods that make for some additional backdrops. Super sweet and easy! :)

Sample galleries:
- Elena + Adam Engagement Photos
- Lauren + Christian Engagement Photos

Glen Onoko Falls

Where's it located? Jim Thorpe, PA

2020 Update - the Glen Onoko falls trail has been shut down by the PA government. Unfortunately, this location cannot be accessed at this time. 

Glen Onoko is a popular hiking trail in the Poconos that requires a bit of scrambling to get to the falls at the top. In our experience, the views are worth it and it's a fun adventure for couples into this sort of thing. Hiking boots are really essential for this trail. 

Sample galleries:
- Leah + Erik Engagement Photos

Columcille Megalith Park

Where's it located? Bangor, PA

Columcille Megalith Park is one of the real hidden gems of Northeast Pennsylvania. It's a private park built on the original owners property and opened to the public through their non-profit. The park has been designed as a bit of a retreat for people to truly getaway and be at peace with nature. Of course, the really unique part about this park is the Celtic influenced structures around the property including the megalith stone arch. This is a really beautiful location with a little bit of everything for nature lovers!

Sample galleries:
- Jennifer + Don Engagement Photos

Downtown Jim Thorpe

Where's it located? Jim Thorpe, PA

Rounding out our list of 10 engagement photo locations in the Poconos is the quaint town of Jim Thorpe. This historic little town has a lot to offer for engagement photos throughout the year. There are a lot of great spots just walking the streets outside, and some indoor spaces allow us to take photos (like the Notch Eight Craft House seen above), which is a great option particularly if you happen to naturally love grabbing something to drink with your partner. 

Sample galleries:
- Leah + Erik Engagement Photos
- Brittany + Matt Night Engagement Photos

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a ton of amazing locations for engagement photos in the Poconos. This area will no doubt attract outdoor enthusiasts the most, and it's honestly one of our favorite things to love about the area anyways. An abundance of wooded areas, waterfalls, lakes, mountain views...they're all so great and we are pretty much obsessed with them as photo backdrops. We think you will be, too! :)