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Pennsylvania elk-watching is a little like wine -- they both can get better with age. And while time under a cork can mellow out a merlot, time can add spice to elk-viewing as fall foliage envelopes the mountains.
Time can also smooth the stress from an elk watch as the competing September throng fades away. Mid-September is the peak of the elk rut on the Allegheny Plateau of north-central Pennsylvania, where the largest herd of wild elk in the American Northeast roams the ridges. It's also when most of the 75,000 annual visitors drive the winding road to the top of Winslow Hill where most elk encounters happen. But the elk are still there post-rut, even if there are fewer humans to share the view.
"The crowds drop off. .... It's like the leaves. After the peak elk rut, it seems the crowds and the leaves drop at about the same rate," said Ken Rowe, owner of Elk Country Store, a gift shop and inn along Rt. 555 at Medix Run in Elk County.
Rowe said the foliage alone is worth a visit to elk country as the rut winds down. Western Pennsylvanians have lots of choices for leaf-viewing, but there is only one place to see both flaming foliage and herds of elk -- centered around the tiny village of Benezette, along Route 555 in Elk County.
All elk viewing sites offer parking, educational kiosks and rainproof shelters. Remember that elk are wild animals and are not always visible at the viewing areas.
The most popular elk-viewing site. Off-road parking, interpretive signs, pavilion for educational presentations, and portable restrooms (through October). From Rt. 555 at Benezette, follow Winslow Hill Road (Benezette Township Rt. 424) north for three miles.
Ideal for photography when elk are present. Twelve miles east of Benezette at Hicks Run, immediately north of Rt. 555.
Camping and public restrooms nearby in state park. On Rt. 872, just north of Potter County line, 14.5 miles north of the village of Sinnemahoning and Rt. 555. Call park for information: 814-486-3353.
Chance to see elk, deer, waterfowl and wading birds in remote habitat of Quehanna Wild Area. Just off the Quehanna Highway 9.5 miles south of Rt. 555 at Medix Run. Call Moshannon State Forest District for information: 814-765-0821.
"We call it our autumn double-feature--elk and flaming foliage," said author and Benezette resident Carol Mulvihill. "You will still seek elk, and together with the foliage it will make a wonderful outdoor experience."
Pennsylvania's elk have surged over the past 20 years. The herd nearly died out in the early 1970s, but habitat improvements by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission and private partners opened up more range, provided better nutrition for the herd and diminished conflicts with farmers. Game Commission biologists also trapped and relocated some of the elk to other sites in the region. About 700 elk now range over 800 square miles of Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield and Potter counties. Elk-viewing, though, is most concentrated on Winslow Hill, just north of Benezette, and several other sites developed to encourage elk-viewing.
The drive to Benezette represents most of the effort in seeing an elk. Get there, and some kind of elk encounter is likely.
"People are amazed at their size and that they're fairly easy to find. They're not skittish like deer, at least not the 'townie' elk that hang around near the roads," said Steve Kronenwetter, owner of Wapiti Woods rental cottages and elk-viewing excursions in Benezette Township. "They're different, wilder, in the backcountry."
The construction of an 8,400-square foot Elk Country Visitor Center on Winslow Hill was delayed in September when a key partner, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), based in Missoula, Mont., pulled out of the project.
In a 2007 agreement signed by RMEF and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the commonwealth pledged $5 million to construct the building, parking and major infrastructure, while RMEF agreed to staff the center for 30 years and raise $5.6 million toward development of educational displays and an operating endowment. Construction began in May 2009. In September, RMEF president and CEO David Allen announced a "new agreement" by which RMEF was transferring its role in the Elk Center's development to DCNR. The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation has agreed to complete fund-raising and exhibit construction at the center.
The state's official policy of encouraging elk-viewing continues, however, and has worked better than some local residents would prefer. Traffic tie-ups are commonplace on rural roadways as visitors stop to watch and photograph elk in fields and backyards.
Mulvihill said it's important to the future of the elk herd that visitors act with courtesy and common sense.
"A lot of folks, when they see an elk, will just jump out of their cars, park on private property, leave the doors open and cause a lot of disruption for the residents. The elk will fare better if everyone who comes to see them respects the needs of the community."
Mulvihill recommends visitors go to established viewing areas where there is safe parking off the roads and where educational exhibits explain elk behavior. She adds, though, that she understands the excitement when people see an elk for the first time.
"I think people crave a connection with wild things like these elk," Mulvihill said. "We're in jobs in cities. We deal with problems and routines day in and day out. Coming here and seeing these elk in this setting is such a contrast. When I first came here I'd been working as a nurse, and seeing elk was exciting, exhilarating and relaxing all at the same time."
• Use the official elk-viewing sites developed for safety.
• For best viewing, look for elk at dusk and dawn.
• Do not stop along public highways to view elk.
• Respect private property.
• Do not attempt to feed, pet or harass elk.
Read more about the history, biology and management of Pennsylvania elk on the Game Commission's Web site at www.pgc.state.pa.us. To find out about lodging, meals, wineries and shopping in elk country, log onto the Northwest PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau site at www.pagreatoutdoors.com.
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