Lakes, game lands and hiking trails make up Shohola
Shohola offers a secluded location south of the Delaware River and within the Poconos Mountain Region. Dense forests of pine, oak and birch trees cover this Pike County township on the Pennsylvania-New York border. Locals often spend their hiking past waterfalls, hunting in state game lands and boating on one of the area’s several recreation lakes. It’s this natural setting that attracts full-time residents and part-timers from New York City. “It’s a mix of people who come from the city to get away, and people who have visited for years, and eventually choose to move here full-time,” says Arlene Quirk, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty, who has sold several homes in the area. Despite this vacation appeal, the community maintains a quiet atmosphere. “There’s almost no rental properties here,” Quirk says. “It’s a place where most people keep to themselves and just enjoy nature.”
Some lakefront communities here have HOAs
Most homes along Shohola’s forested roads were built between the 1950s and early 2000s. Ranch-style homes, cottages and cabins are all common. Houses on lakes typically have private docks and boat slips. Homeowners in the area’s lakefront communities may have to pay HOA fees. For instance, resident-only Walker Lake has fees to help maintain its beaches, sports facilities and clubhouse. Shohola’s median single-family home price is around $350,000, which is less than the national median. Empty lots typically sell in the $5,000 to $125,000 range, depending on acreage. Trails End is a community with RV parking spots costing between $12,000 and $19,000. Properties near the river and the lakes may be at risk of flooding. Residents should also be aware that the area experiences cold winters, with around 38 inches of snow annually.
Locals can boat on Shohola Lake and hunt on state game lands
The 1,137-acre Shohola Lake spans the community’s southern edge. Launches for paddleboats and electric motorboats surround the waterway. Locals can hike up the trail, which is a little over half a mile, to reach the rushing Shohola Waterfall. State game lands in the area are often home to white-tailed deer, wild turkey and grouse. Trails for hiking, biking and snowmobiling stretch across these massive plots of land. State Game Lands Number 209 is along the Delaware River, where hunters may see mallards and geese. Anglers can stand on the river’s rocky shoreline and catch trout and smallmouth bass. Several boat launches sit along the river, and as paddleboaters and people in rafts drift across the water, they may spot bald eagles flying above. Rohman Park has playgrounds and picnic pavilions in the northern part of the township. Quirk warns that locals may see more dangerous animals as they make their way through the area’s nature preserves. “You have to look out for rattlesnakes and black bears every time you’re in a forest,” she says.
Local public schools earn B-plus grades or higher
The Delaware Valley School District serves Shohola. Kids can attend Shohola Elementary, which Niche grades an A-minus. They may continue to Delaware Valley Middle and Delaware Valley High, both earning B pluses. The high school offers Career & Technical Education pathways like culinary arts, healthcare occupations and marketing.
Shohola has restaurants, but no grocery stores
A few restaurants are on Shohola’s east side. For instance, a juke box, a pool table and vintage beer signs fill Mel’s Place, which serves wings, pizza and nachos. Several restaurants overlook the Delaware River, including Rohman’s Pub, a 19th-century hotel turned dive bar and bowling alley. The Catholic St. Ann’s Church is down the street from the pub. Aside from Dollar General and a few other convenience stores, Shohola doesn’t have much else. “There’s very little commercial development, but that’s part of the area’s appeal,” Quirk says. Locals will find big-box stores like Walmart Supercenter and Lowe’s in Matamoras, about 20 miles east.
Traffic may back up as New Yorkers enter and leave Shohola
Though locals often drive golf carts around, Shohola is a car-dependent community. Interstate 84, which runs along southern Shohola, leads to Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport with a 57-mile drive west. It connects with other interstates and state routes to reach New York City, less than 110 miles southeast. Traffic may back up as part-time residents head to and from the city. “It’s bad on Thursday night when New Yorkers get here, and bad on Sunday morning when they leave,” Quirk says. New York Route 97 is on the township’s northern edge. The highway leads directly to Matamoras and the neighboring town of Port Jervis, home to the Bon Secours Community Hospital.
