Elk Scenic Drive

Unparalleled Wildlife Viewing

This 127-mile loop through portions of five counties is a drive-to-believe-it kind of experience. The distinct Elk Scenic Drive road signs are your guide for this journey.

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Elk Country Visitor Center

The Elk Country Visitor Center is a world-class, eco-friendly visitor and educational center and premier location to view Elk in their natural habitat. Seeing and hearing these magnificent elk in person is an awe-inspiring experience.

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Elk Expo

Don’t miss the Elk Expo in held annually in August. The Pennsylvania Game Commission holds their annual elk license drawing live at the Expo, drawing in thousands of hunters and spectators. The event is family friendly, with a multitude of vendors, from food to fine art and crafts. The PA Great Outdoors Elk Expo won the PA Wilds 2015 Event of the Year!

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Sinnemahoning State Park and Wildlife Center

Unplug from devices and reconnect with nature, at the state-of-the-art Park Office and Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park. This LEED-certified green building introduces visitors to the Pennsylvania Wilds through family friendly exhibits and interpretive displays. Peer into an eagle’s nest, crawl through a bear’s cave or simply sit and enjoy a book, the Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park has something for everyone.

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Quehanna Wild Area

Nearly 50,000 acres, the Quehanna Wild Area is a protected wildlife area, home to several species of birds and other animals including elk, deer and coyotes.

About Elk Scenic Drive

This 127-mile loop through portions of five counties is a drive-to-believe-it kind of experience. The distinct Elk Scenic Drive road signs are your guide for this journey. Known for unparalleled wildlife viewing, you can start from the west end (Rt. 144) or east end at Lock Haven (Rt. 120) via easy access points off I-80.

Download the Elk Scenic Drive map

Download this detailed map and informational brochure developed by the PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources to learn more about Elk Country and the Pennsylvania Wilds elk herd.

Multiple drive stops not only include some of the best places to observe our awe-inspiring wild elk herd, but also help travelers experience the diversity and abundance of the region’s wildlife and recreational assets that are hallmarks of this scenic and rugged landscape. The Elk Scenic Drive includes 5 State Parks.

 

Traveling west-to-east from the Elk Country Visitor Center…. don’t be hesitant to take the road less travelled with a truly remarkable windows down (weather pending) cruise along the nearby Quehanna Highway, cutting through stunning wooded scenery and untouched natural areas. An offshoot of the Elk Scenic Drive, this alternate route may offer some of the best wildlife viewing in these wild and beautiful parts, as well as several hiking trails and other places of interest within the remote Quehanna Wild Area.

 

Disconnect from devices, and connect with wildlife at the state-of-the-art Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park, which includes kid friendly exhibits, opportunities to view wildlife, a life-size replica of a Bald Eagle nest, and sprawling views surrounding.

BE ELK SMART IN THE PENNSYLVANIA WILDS:

  1. Give Elk Space. Keep a distance of at least 100 yards between you and the elk.
  2. Never Feed Elk. Not only is it illegal to feed elk in Pennsylvania, but it teaches them to associate people, cars or homes with food and can lead to dangerous situations.
  3. Don’t Name Elk. Characterizing elk, or any wildlife, by naming them degrades their wild essence.
  4. Do Your Part. The welfare of the elk herd is a shared responsibility.

The PA Wilds, PA Game Commission, Keystone Elk Country Alliance, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) bring you the Elk SMART campaign to help keep Pennsylvania’s elk wild.

See & Do

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Travel Tips & Planning

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