Elk Country Visitor Center  ***Anticipated to open Mid September  2010

Elk in PA? You’re kidding me, right?  Elk once lived throughout Pennsylvania, but by the mid 1800s, their range had been greatly reduced, with the last elk killed in 1867. Between 1913 and 1926, the Pennsylvania Game Commission attempted to restore an elk herd by releasing 177 western elk. This herd grew slowly, but a 2000 count recorded close to 600 animals which called parts of the Pennsylvania Wilds home.

Elk in the wild are an unforgettable sight, and viewing elk has grown in popularity in the past several years. These majestic creatures outsize their deer cousins, with a mature bull weighing in between 700 and 1000 pounds. Observing elk is best done at dawn and dusk, particularly in September and October, during the mating season, or rut. Because elk are wild creatures, their behavior may be unpredictable, so never approach an elk, always view from a safe distance.

To honor the rich elk heritage in Pennsylvania, the Keystone Elk Country Alliance recently forged an agreement with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to manage the Elk Country Visitor Center near Benezette, Pa.

The vision for this visitor center  was to create a premier elk watching and conservation education facility on the eastern seaboard through a unique public-private partnership.

The new center, slated to open in  September, 2010, sits on a 245-acre site on Winslow Hill in Benezette Township in Elk County, adjacent to Elk State Forest and state game lands.

The 8,400-square foot eco-friendly building has a stone fireplace to greet visitors, a “Great Room” with ceilings supported by large wooden trusses and a panorama of windows looking out on elk viewing areas and food plots. It also features a “Story Theater:" Presenting a multimedia experience and other techniques.  This photo is a view from the theater and shows the elk just outside for you to view.  Interpretive exhibits will immerse the visitor in the sights, sounds and smells of a mixed hardwood forest, the natural world of the elk and native wildlife and the heritage of the region. The site also includes a gift shop that will sell only "Made in the USA" products, public restrooms and a series of wildlife watching trails, observation areas and viewing blinds.

The visitor center project was initially launched in partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In September, RMEF conveyed its share of the largest elk watching and conservation education facility in the Eastern United States to PA DCNR.

The idea for the center is being made a reality through broad-based support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation; Dominion; Thorenson Foundation; as well as Safari Club International; the Eastern Chapter Foundation for North American Wild Sheep; and the dedication of members, volunteers, and many individual donors.

Volunteers, like those shown completing the landscaping in this photo, are an essential part of the success of this project.  If you’d like to join these forces or help with conservation efforts in Elk Country, please visit our ‘Join’ page for more information.

Individuals can also become a permanent part of the new elk center by purchasing an inscribed brick paver for you, a friend or to memorialize a family member. New pavers will be placed in the entrance walkway leading to the visitor center.

For more information, download and complete the form here.