Gay Lehighton

Lehighton, population 5,500, sits in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, at the base of the Pocono Mountains. It’s a quiet town, mostly residential, with a historic Main Street and easy access to state parks, rail-trails, and whitewater rafting on the Lehigh River. But for LGBTQ+ travelers, Lehighton means one thing: The Woods Campground, a queer camping resort just outside town.

The Woods Campground: The heart of queer Lehighton

The Woods opened in 2004. It’s a members-only, clothing-optional camping resort for adults 18 and over, set on 161 private acres. On busy summer weekends, it draws about 2,000 LGBTQ+ visitors. That makes it the biggest queer gathering spot for miles. The grounds have a large pool, a four-acre lake with paddleboats, a fitness center, hiking trails, a cafe, and a dance club. You can stay in cabins, park-model tiny homes, RV sites, or tents.

The season runs May through October, with a full calendar of theme weekends. Think Pride, bear and leather gatherings, drag shows, country weekends, and Halloween parties. You get in with a membership (full-season or temporary), or daily passes if you’re staying nearby. Lehighton doesn’t have a standalone gay bar, so The Woods is the local scene. It’s why most queer travelers come here.

Bars, nightlife, and saunas

Don’t expect much in Lehighton itself. The town has no dedicated gay bar, club, or sauna. Mainstream pubs are friendly enough, but queer nightlife happens inside The Woods during its season. For year-round gay bars, you’ll need to drive 40 minutes south to Allentown in the Lehigh Valley. That’s where you’ll find the closest permanent LGBTQ+ nightlife.

Jim Thorpe and the surrounding area

Five minutes from Lehighton is Jim Thorpe, a well-preserved Victorian town sometimes called the “Switzerland of America.” It’s gay-friendly on its own, with independent inns and B&Bs like the Inn at Jim Thorpe and the Harry Packer Mansion. You’ll also find an opera house, galleries, and mountain biking and hiking on Broad Mountain. It works as an easy day trip or an alternative base if you’d rather stay in a hotel than camp.

Where to stay

Beyond camping at The Woods, you’ll find plenty of gay-friendly lodging nearby. There are chain hotels like the Hampton Inn and Country Inn & Suites in Lehighton, and characterful inns and B&Bs in Jim Thorpe. None are exclusively LGBTQ+, but all are comfortable and welcoming for queer visitors—useful if you want a real bed and a hot shower after a weekend at the campground.

Getting here and around

Lehighton is about 30 minutes from Allentown, 90 minutes from Philadelphia, and two hours from New York City. It’s just off the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-476). There's no good public transport for visitors, so you’ll need a car to get to The Woods, explore Jim Thorpe, and travel between Carbon County towns.

When to visit

The best time to come is May through October, when The Woods is open and its theme weekends are happening. Peak summer weekends are the busiest and most social. Outside that season, the borough is quiet. LGBTQ+ life then moves to the year-round scene in the Lehigh Valley.

Legal status and safety

Pennsylvania is safe and welcoming for LGBTQ+ travelers. Same-sex marriage has been legal nationwide since 2015, and the state has broad protections. Carbon County is rural and conservative in some areas, but the parts around The Woods and Jim Thorpe are used to queer visitors and perfectly comfortable. Just use common sense.

Pride and community

Lehighton doesn’t host its own Pride. But two regional celebrations are close by: Lehigh Valley Pride in Allentown (about 40 minutes south, in August) and the Pocono Pride Festival in Stroudsburg (about 50 minutes northeast, in early June). For year-round community, the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown is the region’s main hub.