Ross Township offers quiet living in the Poconos
Ross Township is a Monroe County community set at the base of the Pocono Mountains, which are known for resorts and outdoor recreation. The township encompasses a rural 23 square mile area and has a population of just under 5,500 residents. Most of the land is blanketed by sprawling farms, forests and natural parks, with single-family homes on large lots spread throughout. “The homes are pretty rural but also nicely built, and overall, it’s a great area for people to come and relax in. It’s all rolling hills around here, so as you drive around and look out the window, you’ll see some absolutely beautiful scenery,” says Kurt Fretz, a local Realtor with Great American Real Estate Company who has decades of selling homes in the Poconos and Lehigh Valley. While most properties in Ross Township are residential, a small concentration of local businesses, shopping and dining amenities can be found in Saylorsburg, a small census-designated place that spills into neighboring Hamilton Township.
Access to ski slopes, golf courses and hiking trails
Each year, the Poconos welcome tens of millions of visitors to experience Northeast Pennsylvania's outdoor recreation and top-rated mountain resorts. The closest ski resort to Ross Township is Blue Mountain Resort, approximately 15 miles away. During the winter, the resort opens up 40 slopes and 16 ski lifts. As the weather warms, ropes courses, mountain biking and summer camps become more popular. Hideaway Hills Golf Club, about 12 miles away, has a public 18-hole course and a members-only clubhouse.
Ross Township is known for hiking in the Blue Mountain range and fishing at several creeks and lakes. Along the Blue Mountain ridge, outdoor enthusiasts can trek to natural attractions like the Princess Run Waterfall or the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, which runs close to the mountain’s elongated summit. “The section of the Appalachian Trail that runs through here kind of acts like the boundary between Monroe County and Northampton County right on the other side of that mountain,” Fretz says. Community parks in Ross Township include Van Buskirk-Haney Park and Saylorsburg Playground, which has Little League athletic facilities. Ross Common Manor is a 3-acre national historic district centered around a colonial estate built in 1810.
Rural homes with spacious lots and scenic views
Homes listed in Ross Township spend about 24 days on the market, which is half the national average. Almost all single-family homes here were built during the second half of the 20th century, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. A handful of manufactured homes and investment properties are scattered throughout the township and are almost always less than $200,000. Cape Cod homes, bi-level dwellings and ranch styles are common and typically range from about $200,000 to $400,000. Larger contemporary Craftsman homes, colonial styles and farmhouse properties can cost between $350,000 and $600,000. Because of the community’s rural setting, most residents can live on larger lots. The median size here is a little over an acre. Lots also typically have a backdrop of farmlands or forests or both.
Students attend Pleasant Valley School District
Ross Township is zoned for the Pleasant Valley School District, which receives an overall C-plus rating from Niche and serves three other Monroe County townships: Chestnuthill, Eldred and Polk. The district has four schools, all of which factor into the K-12 pipeline. The B-rated Pleasant Valley Elementary serves students in kindergarten through second grade. Grades 3 through 5 can attend Pleasant Valley Intermediate, while sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students head to Pleasant Valley Middle; both schools are rated C-plus. Pleasant Valley High is a B-minus-rated institution with more than 20 organizations and clubs, including a school ski team. The Monroe Career and Technical Institute (MCTI) accepts secondary students from all four school districts across Monroe County. Enrolled students spend each school day split in half between MCTI and their assigned district high school.
Community farms meet small-town shopping and dining
Commercial amenities in Ross Township are primarily limited to businesses in Saylorsburg, a couple of local wineries and community farms that operate seasonally. Klingel’s Farm celebrates the fall season with its annual Mazezilla, an 11-acre corn maze, as well as pumpkin patches and wagon rides. Farm-to-table products can be found at Apple Ridge Farm, which also specializes in making artisan sourdough. Wineries in Ross Township include the popular Blue Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery and the Sorrenti Family Estate, a winery established in 1981 that doubles as a distillery. According to Fretz, Monroe County's flea markets are extremely popular. He notes that Saylorsburg hosts the Blue Ridge Flea Market every Saturday and Sunday at an open-air venue right off Route 115.
Ross Township residents often run errands and go out to eat in either Saylorsburg or Brodheadsville. While part of Saylorsburg lies within the township, the larger Brodheadsville is a few miles away. Saylorsburg has neighborhood restaurants and locally owned businesses, plus a Dollar General. Brodheadsville has a selection of big-box stores, chain establishments and national retailers, including ShopRite grocery store, Tractor Supply Co. and Rite Aid pharmacy.
Driving through Monroe County
Ross Township is a car-dependent community full of winding mountain thoroughfares and unpaved backcountry roads. Pennsylvania Route 33 is a north-south mountain highway that runs through Monroe County and briefly passes through Ross Township at its eastern corner. From there, the route continues north for another 12 miles until it ends by merging with Interstate 80 in Bartonsville. Ross Township is convenient to U.S. Route 209, which runs a few miles from the community through Brodheadsville. Route 209 is a Monroe County artery that, according to Fretz, can get a little backed up during rush hour. “If you don’t want to deal with that kind of traffic, buy a home below Route 209,” Fretz says, referring to the Ross Township area as “below” the route. The closest airport, Lehigh Valley International Airport, is approximately 28 miles away. The nearest 24-hour emergency room is located at St. Luke’s Hospital Monroe Campus, 12 miles from the township.
