It Wasn’t Easy, But I Finally Made It To Benezette In Elk County, Pennsylvania

It’s hard to believe it was over 40 years ago I first planned to  visit to Benezette  in Elk County, Pennsylvania. I read about this town and the elk heard that lived in the nearby forest  in a AAA tour book  when I was in law school. I was planning a trip across the country after I took the bar exam.  Benezette and the wilds of Pennsylvania  was  going to be my first stop. I changed my plans  and never made it to Benezette on that trip.  Over the years I often thought of visiting this area of Pennsylvania to see the elk but never made it.

It was around on August 1  43 years ago  I began my  trip across the country.  Last week  I was reflecting on my trip and thinking about doing it again next year. I remembered my original plans to visit Benezette and decided to finally  take a road  and look for the elk in  the only heard east of the Mississippi River.   I  had a morning appointment at my law office but was on on the road  around 10 a.m.  I reflected on my  the many times I drove east many times on I 81   when I attended Bloomsburg University for two years. The first time I  drove past Bloomsburg was on my cross country trip.  I was a pleasant drive on a perfect sunny Summer day. There are not many places to eat in the remote mountains of central Pennsylvania.   I stopped and had a great  breakfast at the Cottage Restaurant in Mill Hall. I love eating at small diners and local restaurants on my travels.

I continued on my trip when, driving on the remote  Quehanna Highway  near the small town of Karthaus, my  Jeep overheated. I was in the middle of no where.

I called AAA and waited.  I had just drove past state forest trails a few miles before I broke down. I wish I would have broke down near one of the trails. There was on place walk except along the highway.  There was abandoned road but it was posted.

I took a few photos of the native  wildflowers I saw growing along the highway,  including garden phlox.

yarrow,

daisy fleabane,

 early goldenrod

and slender yellow woodsorrel.  I heard few red eyed vireos but they stayed in the woods along the highway. There was not much else to do but to keep calling AAA and the rental car company in Clearfield, about 18 miles away.

It was sunny and hot with temperatures in the mid 80’s. I waited almost 4  hours without water waiting for a tow truck to arrive around 4:30p.m. .

Thankfully, I was able to have the tow truck driver drop me off at Enterprise car rental in Clearfield. And thankfully, the manager at Enterprise waited 15 minutes past closing to rent me a car. It was  now 5:30 p.m. when I was finally  back on the road again in a brand new Toyota Corolla.

It was about a 1/2 hour drive from Clearfield to Benezette, the ”Elk Capital of Pennsylvania” .  I arrived in Benezette around 6 p.m.   This  small town in Elk County only has 217 permanent residents. There are over 1400 elk  in northwestern Pennsylvania in a  range that  encompasses portions of nearly 10 counties and over 1,000 square miles. The  forest around   Benezette have some of the highest concentrations of the elk  in Pennsylvania.

 These elk are not the native eastern elk that once roamed thought the mountains of northern Pennsylvania. They were hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. Between  1913 and 1926 Rocky mountain elk from the western United States were introduced  into Pennsylavania and the current heard are their descendants.  When I arrived   I parked  at the  Benezette Hotel.  As I was leaving my car I asked some folks walking by where the best place to see elk would be and they said at the Visitor Center viewing area but not until after 7 p.m.

I decided to explore the quiet town of Benezette before  going to the Visitor Center. I walked to Front Street past some gifts shops.

It seemed every home or business had a sign, statute, or some depiction of the elk that made the town famous.

I walked to the Route 555 the main and only highway into the town.

I followed it to a road,

over Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek.

Here I found a trail in the  Moshannon State Forest.

Here,  my troubles of the day melted away in  the late day sunshine filtering through  the large oak and other hardwood trees.

Large cinnamon ferns,

and Joe-pye weed grow along the narrow trail. 

Beautiful bright red  native cardinal flowers stood out in the green understory along the trail.

The trail took me toward the creek, where I heard the sounds of running water and the voices of children swimming in the creek.  When I arrived at the creek I found a family enjoying the beautiful Summer evening.  The parents, and grandparents sat along the creek while the children swam in the fast flowing water, and swung on a rope into a swimming hole on the other side of the creek. It was scene from the past, and very calming for me after my stressful afternoon.

I walked back to the main trail, and followed it a short distance, but it  ended where a sign indicated it was private property.

Walking back, I came to this campfire site and again reflected on the memories the folks who built it must have had.

I walked back to the road, and followed it out for about a 1/2 mile.  I meet a group of girls , who like me, were hoping to see some elk in the fields. They said the road ended and they didn’t see any elk or any other critters.  I followed the road,

and although I didn’t see any elk I did see a few birds in the woods along the trail , including a northern yellow warbler,

a few gray catbirds,

and a beautiful indigo bunting.

I also saw some insects visiting the bull thistle flowers along the road, including   bumblebees and this dun skipper butterfly.

I was also glad to see a few monarch butterflies along the road, this one visiting a clover flower.

I walked back into Benezette and followed Hulett Street, one of the few streets in the small hamlet.   There were more elk signs and statues, and a lot of small shops selling items to the many folks camping in the man y nearby camping areas. There are two State Parks and many  private parks and lodges in the surrounding area.

It was almost 7 p.m. when I finished my 2 mile hike. I walked back to the Benezette Hotel where I had a delicious wholesome dinner,  starting with a garden salad  and a main course of baked haddock, mashed potatoes and green beans.

I left the hotel and drove to the Visitor Center,

and walked to the viewing area. There were a few folks walking back and I was told I just missed a few elk, they were in the distance, but walked into the forest.  As I neared the viewing area I came upon a small group of folks, led by a forest ranger, who told me the viewing area was closed. I enjoyed the setting sun  obscured by some clouds.  After watchng the sun set I had  about a 20 minute drive to my hotel, the Best Western in St. Marys.  It was almost 9 p.m. when I got back to my hotel.   I didn’t see any elk  during my few hours in Benezette but I got to explore the quaint little town. It was a long day. I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. and was looking forward to looking for elk in the morning. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web site with some more photos from my drive to and visit in Benezette.   Elk County Benezette July 31 2026. 

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

“to travel is worth any cost or sacrifice.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert

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