Birchwood Resort in East Stroudsburg,
Poconos, Pennsylvania, operated from the 1950s until its
closure in the early 2000s. The resort was for couples only. In 1969, a small
airport was added to the 300-acre property and the resort offered “fly in”
services for honeymooners who would fly, or drive, to the airport in Allentown
to connect with their own personal plane waiting to drop them off at the
resort’s private air strip, Birchwood-Pocono Air Park. Couples could also take
off from the 2,500-foot runway using a glider to soar over the Poconos and soak
in thrilling views of the Delaware Water Gap. During its prime, private cabins,
swimming, a night club, bowling, miniature golf, a shooting range, paddle
boats, and badminton were all offered on the property.
Tourism started to decline in the 1980s and 1990s. Within
a few years, it closed for good and has been abandoned ever since. In 2014,
accused cop killer Eric Matthew Frein was found hiding in the airport hangar at
the resort after a lengthy 48-day manhunt.
As of 2018, the owners shared plans of renovating and
reopening a scaled-down version of the retreat. By March 2021, a fire destroyed
a large portion of the property, making a revival impossible.