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Lake Marvin!
Lake Marvin!
Making things up and committing to them since 1693.
History of Lake Marvin
Lake Marvin existed long before anyone thought to put a name on it.
The Lenape people of the Poconos referred to this region as “Alàxsit Xinkwi Mënëpèkw,” which loosely translates to “big, dull, lake.” Historians have debated the translation for years, mostly because “big, dull, lake” is not the sort of phrase that inspires a marketing campaign. Still, the name had a certain honesty.
When European settlers arrived, they found a beautiful mountain lake surrounded by forests, fertile land, and the occasional person trying to survive the winter. The original name proved too difficult for newcomers to pronounce, so in the late 1600s an early Catholic missionary suggested calling it Lake Marin, after Saint Marino, whose name means “friend of the sea.”
This was somewhat ironic, given that Lake Marvin is very much not the sea.
The farmers living around the lake were not especially interested in debating the matter. They politely nodded, accepted the new name, and went back to growing crops.
Somewhere along the way, Lake Marin became Lake Marvin. No one is entirely sure when or why. In 1693, the first Episcopal Church was built near the lake and dedicated to Saint Marvin, despite the small problem that no Saint Marvin had ever actually been canonized. The original church burned down in 1792 and was never rebuilt, leaving behind one of Lake Marvin’s earliest traditions: making things up and committing to them.
The town that exists today was largely shaped in the nineteenth century by the families who built their lives around the lake.
The Glynns brought steel milling to the region and helped make Lake Marvin an industrial center. The Deerings created one of the earliest cereal companies in America, producing Pocon-Os before breakfast cereal became a national obsession. The Altermans revolutionized home building with their famous Lake Marvin Cabin-in-a-Box, allowing families across the country to bring a little bit of the Poconos home with them.
Lake Marvin became a destination with the arrival of the railroad in 1872, bringing visitors from across the region to enjoy the lake, the mountains, and the simple pleasure of being somewhere else for a while.
Today, Lake Marvin remains a place for hiking, watersports, fresh air, old stories, and people who appreciate nature, history, and towns that have somehow survived for centuries despite occasionally getting the details wrong.
We hope you visit.
We’ve been waiting since 1693.
Things to Do in Beautiful Lake Marvin
Things to Do in Beautiful Lake Marvin
People have been coming to Lake Marvin for more than 150 years looking for adventure, relaxation, and an excuse to tell their friends they “really needed some time away.”
We are happy to provide all three.
Enjoy the Lake!
Enjoy the Lake!
The lake is, technically, the reason we are here.
Visitors can enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and all the other activities that require a person to sit near water and say things like, “You know, we should do this more often.”
The original residents called it a “big, dull, lake,” but after centuries of careful research, we have determined that it is actually a very pleasant lake.
Hike the Mountains!
Hike the Mountains!
Lake Marvin is surrounded by miles of trails through the beautiful Pocono Mountains. Some are easy. Some are challenging. Some are mostly an opportunity to walk uphill for twenty minutes and wonder who thought this was relaxing.
All trails eventually lead somewhere worth seeing, although occasionally that somewhere is back where you started.
Visit Downtown Lake Marvin!
Visit Downtown Lake Marvin!
The historic downtown district offers shops, restaurants, galleries, and businesses that have somehow survived everything from economic downturns to people asking, “Wait, what exactly are you selling?”
Browse local stores. Grab a coffee. Buy something you did not know you needed. This is how small towns work.
Try a Lake Marvin Original
Try a Lake Marvin Original
For generations, Lake Marvin has been producing things that people actually use.
The Deering family’s famous Pocon-Os cereal once competed with the biggest breakfast brands in America. The Alterman family’s Lake Marvin Cabin-in-a-Box helped bring mountain living to families across the country.
Today, visitors can still find local foods, crafts, and products that prove the town’s long-standing philosophy: If you can make it, package it, and put “Lake Marvin” on the label, someone will probably buy it.
Stay at the Hotel Bonaventure
Stay at the Hotel Bonaventure
The Hotel Bonaventure has welcomed guests for generations, offering mountain views, comfortable rooms, and the kind of hospitality where someone remembers your name even if you only came in for coffee.
The hotel has hosted honeymooners, fishermen, families, celebrities, and at least a few people who claimed they were “just passing through” and stayed for twenty years.
Experience the Seasons
Experience the Seasons
Lake Marvin does not believe in having one personality.
Summer brings lake days and long evenings outside. Autumn brings spectacular colors and people taking approximately 4,000 photographs of the same tree. Winter brings snow, fireplaces, and the annual reminder that mountain roads are much prettier when someone else is driving.
Spring brings flowers, fresh air, and the optimistic belief that winter is finally over.
It usually is.
...Or, Just Relax
...Or, Just Relax
This may be Lake Marvin’s most popular attraction.
Sit on a porch. Watch the water. Read a book. Enjoy a Duck Fart Martini. Have a conversation that lasts longer than expected.
After all, that was the original attraction.
A big, dull lake.
And honestly?
It turned out pretty great.
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