Top 15 Things To Do in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Scranton's hiking scene is a study in contrasts: urban greenways and riverfront promenades meet rolling forested ridges, reservoir loops, and waterfall-strewn state parks within a short drive. These 11 hikes range from short, family-friendly loops inside city parks to rugged waterfall circuits and strong day-hike options in nearby state forests. Expect close-to-town access, seasonal runoff that animates cascades, and the textured history of an old coal and rail landscape woven through the trails.

Scranton's waterways are a compact lesson in northeastern paddling: tranquil reservoir laps, urban river floats with industrial history, and easy access to whitewater and scenic flatwater within an hour's drive. This guide focuses on where to put in a kayak, when to paddle, and how to plan trips that match your skill level.

Scranton sits at the crossroads between river valleys, reclaimed industrial landscapes, and the shoulder of the Pocono plateau—making it a practical base for both mellow riverside float trips and true whitewater excursions a short drive away. This guide focuses on rafting options that start near the city: family-friendly floats on the Lackawanna and guided, adrenaline-focused runs that stage out of downtown and access the bigger whitewater playgrounds in the Poconos and Lehigh corridor. Expect river seasons driven by spring runoff and summer releases, a mix of commercial outfitters and private put-ins, and an approachable river culture shaped by Pennsylvania’s coal-country history and ongoing conservation efforts.

Scranton’s edges—where reclaimed coal lands slope into river valleys and city parks knit into forested ridgelines—are quietly alive with animal life. From spring songbird migration along riparian corridors to winter raptor watches and summer amphibian choruses at small ponds, the Scranton area offers accessible wildlife viewing that pairs easily with short hikes, paddles, and urban nature walks.

From quiet dawn balloon launches above river valleys to ridge-line thermals that lift paragliders over hardwood forests, Scranton’s airscape is an underrated canvas for airborne adventure. The region’s rolling topography—short mountains, long valleys, and sweeping farm country—creates accessible lift and scenic corridors for flightseeing, tandem paragliding, glider rides, and hot-air balloon trips. Close enough to larger regional airports for convenient access yet small enough to feel like intimate local flying country, Scranton gives travelers a mix of gentle aerial sightseeing and hands-on air-sport opportunities within a short drive of the city.

Scranton's sightseeing tours stitch together industrial grit, rail romance, and a riverside downtown that rewards a slow, curious pace. Whether you're tracing the whistled history of steam locomotives or wandering brick-lined streets punctuated by murals and market stalls, the city's compact footprint makes it ideal for half-day explorations and layered cultural itineraries.

From low-and-slow scenic circuits over anthracite country to high-window flights that slice across the ridgelines of the Poconos, air tours around Scranton turn familiar landscapes into cinematic vistas. These short, focused flights are designed to reveal geology, industrial history, and seasonal color from an angle only a bird—or a well‑piloted tour—can offer. Whether you’re after fall foliage coronas, winter’s crystalline clarity, or the first-green mosaic of spring, a thirty- to sixty-minute air tour makes the region’s topography legible in an hour and makes excellent companions for ground-based hikes, river paddles, and photography expeditions.

Scranton’s bike tours weave post-industrial streets, riverfront greenways, and converted rail corridors into approachable day trips. Expect easy paved rail-trail miles, scenic river valley stretches, and access to rolling foothills for riders who want to push further. This guide focuses on planning practical rides—what the terrain feels like, when to go, what to bring, and how to combine two-wheeled exploration with local culture and history.

Scranton's city tours unpack a compact, layered urban story: coal and railroads, art-deco storefronts, industrial grit softened by riverfront greenways and neighborhood murals. Whether you prefer a narrated walking tour, a self-guided exploration that follows historic plaques, or a relaxed bike loop along the Lackawanna River, Scranton invites slow, curious travel—ideal for travelers who want to move at street level and feel the city’s textures underfoot.

Scranton’s compact downtown, converted rail corridors, and easy access to rolling backroads make it an unusually practical city for renting a bike. Whether you want a gentle family ride on a paved river trail, an all-day e-bike loop into neighboring small towns, or a gravel grinder through the foothills north of the city, local rental shops supply the bikes and the local know-how to get you rolling.

Scranton sits at the northern edge of Pennsylvania's patchwork of reservoirs and rivers, making it an unexpectedly good base for short paddles, calm-lake days, and easy access to bigger rental scenes in the Poconos. This guide focuses on renting boats—kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and larger craft where available—near Scranton, with practical tips about seasonality, terrain, safety, and how to plan outings that pair well with hiking, cycling, and small-town exploration.

Gentle gradients, tree-shaded channels, and a regional tradition of lazy summer floats make the Lackawanna River corridor around Scranton a quiet but rewarding place for river tubing. This guide focuses on what to expect on a tube—from entry ramps and current strength to seasons, safety, and easy add-on experiences like riverside hikes, fly-fishing access, and nearby paddling. Whether you want a mellow two-hour float or a full afternoon of beaches, picnics, and river-side towns, Scranton’s river tubing scene is a low-key way to experience northeastern Pennsylvania’s post-industrial waterways and wooded valleys.