Elk Viewing in Northwestern Pennsylvania

If you are one who prefers to take "the road less traveled," Elk County in northwestern Pennsylvania offers not only majestic scenery, but also the largest concentration of elk in the Commonwealth.

When to View Elk: While elk can be spotted all year long in northwestern Pennsylvania, the end of September and into October are the best months to view elk. The fall is rutting season, when the elk herds are larger as the bulls corral the cows up and battle for mating rights. The best time of day to view elk is an hour or two past dawn, or at dusk.

Where to View Elk in Elk County: All along Route 555 in northwestern Pennsylvania and the county roads that branch off, you are liable to spot elk. The most popular elk spotting area is the town of Benezette, where Rte. 555 and Winslow Hill Road converge, about 10 miles southeast of the town of St. Mary's. Winslow Hill is a horseshoe that brings you back onto Rte. 555. Be on the lookout for people stopped in the middle of this road with cameras, as it is not uncommon to see elk in the yards of the homes on this hill. (See photo.) While the residents are accustomed to people parking in front of their houses and invading their yards, elk stalkers are requested to respect the property owners' privacy.

Two miles up the steep, winding Winslow Road on the left, herds congregate on the hills of Gilbert's Farm. (See photo.)An unofficial gravel pull-off provides parking. Another mile up is the Winslow Hill viewing area, where parking lots and portable restrooms accommodate visitors. Continuing down the other side of Winslow Hill leading back to Route 555, you will pass farms and fields where elk graze. At the aptly named Elk View Diner, I got some up close and personal shots of a bull elk grazing and shaking the fruit from an apple tree. (See photo.)

Sinnemahonig State Park in Northwestern Pennsylvania has a viewing platform along Rte. 872, 14 miles north of its intersection with Route 555. The Hicks Run Viewing is about 12 miles east of Benezette, overlooking a distant valley. You may also want to visit the old cemetery adjacent. Other viewing sites can be found in the link below.

You are just as likely to come upon elk on a drive through Weedville, Driftwood, Caledonia, Medix Run, Dents Run and the Bucktail Highway. Up Medix Run one night, we saw vehicles stopped in front of a house, and discovered a small herd of elk on the lawn of a man lounging on his patio, who said he never tired of the view. A bull and half a dozen cows were grazing and enjoying the apples that had fallen from his trees. (See photo.)

How to View Elk: Exercise extreme caution while elk viewing this time of year, as it is the rutting season. Do not approach the elk or try to feed them. The elk are not skittish like deer and easier to photograph. A decent zoom camera will provide even amateur photographers with ample memories of their elk tour of northwestern Pennsylvania.

Sources:
Personal Experience
Elk Viewing Sites and Scenic Elk Drives
Suggested reading
Fall Foliage Tours in Western Pennsylvania
Chapter Three of an Autumn Camping Adventure Across Pennsylvania
Chapter Four of an Autumn Camping Adventure Across Pennsylvania