Pennsylvania’s Elk: A Comeback Still in Motion
For a creature as massive and majestic as an elk, it’s wild to think there was a time when not a single one roamed Pennsylvania. By the late 1800s—somewhere between 1877 and 1913—our native elk had been completely wiped out. Overhunting and habitat loss erased them from the landscape so thoroughly that many Pennsylvanians never saw one in their lifetime.
Then came a bold idea.
In 1913, the Pennsylvania Game Commission decided to bring elk back to the Keystone State. That year, 72 elk arrived by rail—50 from Yellowstone National Park and 22 from a private reserve in Monroe County. Picture that moment: after decades of silence, elk hooves touched Pennsylvania soil again.
The restoration didn’t stop there. Between 1913 and 1926, a total of 177 Rocky Mountain elk were released into the state. They wandered the ridges, found new feeding grounds, and slowly rebuilt a presence that had been lost for generations.
And today? That early experiment has grown into one of Pennsylvania’s greatest wildlife success stories.
As of 2025, the state’s elk herd is estimated at about 1,342 animals, with natural fluctuations of roughly ±150 depending on the year. It’s a living reminder that with patience, protection, and a little bit of luck, a species can rise from the brink and reclaim its place in the wild.
The best places to view Elk in PA are as follows:
- The Elk Country Visitor Center, is situated a few miles to the northeast of the town of Benezette. It sits on 245 acres of private property, and is considered to be one of the best spots in Pennsylvania to view these magnificent animals in a natural setting.
- Kettle Creek State Park in Clinton County
- Hicks Run Viewing Area – 8 miles from Driftwood PA
- Beaver run Dam in Weedville PA
- Thunder Mountain Equestrian Trails near Benezette PA in Elk County
- Elk Trail near Benezette PA in Elk County
- Winslow Hill Viewing area near Benezette PA in Elk County
- Dents Run Elk Viewing Area near Benezette PA in Elk County
- Sinnemahoning State Park in Cameron County
Did You Know? — Pennsylvania Elk Edition
Pennsylvania’s elk are not native to the West. The herd we have today descends from Rocky Mountain elk shipped in by rail between 1913 and 1926.
Yellowstone to Pennsylvania: The very first release included 50 elk from Yellowstone National Park, making PA one of the earliest states to receive Yellowstone wildlife.
Elk once vanished completely. By the late 1800s, Pennsylvania’s original Eastern elk were entirely wiped out.
A modern comeback: As of 2025, the state’s elk population is estimated at about 1,342 animals, with natural variation of ±150 depending on the year.
Bugling season is loud. A bull elk’s bugle can carry over a mile across valleys and ridges.
Elk live in only a few PA counties. Most of the herd is concentrated in Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield, and Centre Counties.
The largest bulls can exceed 700 pounds. That’s heavier than a grand piano.