No Elk, But A Lot Of Butterlies , Wildflowers And Some Birds Hiking In The Pennsylvania Wilds

I was up early Saturday morning in Saint Marys on my recent visit  to look for elk in the Pennsylvania Wilds. . It was a 1/2 hour drive to Winslow Hill elk viewing area and I wanted to arrive before the sunrise  around 6:30 a.m.   Unfortunately, there was a thick fog when I left the hotel, and I wasn’t going to see the sunrise or any elk on  my drive  or in the fields  in  the viewing area. It was still foggy when I arrived at Winslow Hill , and if there were elk in the fields  I couldn’t see them. The rising sun looked moon-like in the fog, as I left the viewing area and drove down Dewey Road and to the parking area and a gate.   I began my hike on the dirt and gravel Dewey Road. The road took me through what I learned were reclaimed coal mining areas.  Coal mining began here in the 1830’s.   Both underground and strip coal mining  occurred here.  The coal mined areas were restored and transformed into the fields that are now public viewing areas for the elk heard living in the area. There a lot of new growth conifer trees and young oak and maple trees growing in the slopes along the road. I was surprised to see some birds active on the cool and foggy morning. I saw a female common yellowthroat, a female black throated green warbler and a lot of indigo buntings. This is a male. All of these birds are migratory and will soon be heading south, if they weren’t on their way  already.  There were many late Summer wildflowers blooming along the roads including evening primrose, black-eyed Susans, early goldenrod and and tall white asters, all native to Pennsylvania. There was not much insect acidity because of the fog and cool temperatures. There were hundreds of spider webs along  the trail, visible because they were covered in the fog and  morning dew. Pokeweed plants grew along the trail,  also native to Pennsyvlania. had already produced their berries. I came to that  bridge crossed a stream with wetlands that appeared to be contaminated from the former strip mining that occurred in the area. The  trail continued through the reclaimed coal mining area, where there were many white pine and larch trees  growing on the hill sides along the trail.  Many mushroom grew  in the moss beneath the conifer trees including, I believe rosy russula, and common laccaria mushrooms. There were a number of side horseback trails along the road, and they were well used, as evidenced by the horse dropping on the ground.  Dewey Road continued through the hills slopes of the reclaimed area for almost 2 miles.  The only other birds I saw were a few flocks of wild turkeys, a flock of black-capped chickadees and  a few chipping sparrows.   The fog slowly burned off as the sun rose in the eastern sky After about 2 miles  Dewey Road ended and split, one road, the Helicopter Pad  Road continued up  a ridge. I followed the other  road, now called the Elk Alley trail. I hoped the  road would live  up to it’s name.  Here there were now large open fields long the road. The fog had burned off and the sun shone in mostly clear skies as I walked along more fields along  the Elk Alley Trail.  It sure looked like a place elk would be, but there weren’t any. The trail continued on the    ridge, and, after I had hiked about 3 miles, it  ended in a field with a view of the surrounding hills, some still covered in fog.  It was a scenic and peaceful place to be..  I took in the tranquil scene for about 15 minutes before beginning my hike  back. The still warm late August scene warmed and dried to cool and moist morning air, and there was now a lot of insect activity in the fields I had walked past.  Goldenrod soldier  beetles were now crawling over grass-leave goldenrod, and common eastern bumblebees  buzzed over and on white wood aster.   Both of these  flowers are native to Pennsylvania. This hover fly was visiting a pretty, but invasive, chicory flower. Many colorful butterflies were now fluttering over the fields visiting the many flowers to feed on their nectar, including small white , clouded sulphur , eastern tailed blue , common wood nymph,  spicebush swallowtail ,and pearl crescent butterflies. I was surprised with the number of different species in the fields. I also saw this seldom seen insect a northern bush katydid.  I love listening to their nightly concerts beginning in  mid Summer and continuing to the first frosts. After spending some time observing and photographing the wildflowers and insects I continued on my hike back to my Jeep. On on the way I came across very fresh elk dropping,  I am not positive, but I don’t think it was on the trail on my hike out. I was now sure there were elk in the area and I still hoped to see one, although it was getting late in the morning. About half way back I decided to take one of the side horse trails. On my Alltrails map it seemed about maybe a 1/2 mile longer. I didn’t bother to look at the elevations. I should have.The trail took me up one of the ridge, and through a mixed larch,  eastern white pine , red pine and eastern hemlock trees. Thick moss grew beneath the conifer trees, and here I saw this lichen for the first time, reindeer lichen.  Patches of it grew in the understory of the conifer trees creating a beautiful contrast between the almost white lichen and the deep green moss. The trail took me through a grove of pine and hemlock trees, along the boundary of the State Forest.  The ground was wet and muddy in spots, and a lot of mushrooms  grew here including chicken fat mushrooms and painted suillus mushrooms that grow only under conifer trees, and a few yellow fly agaric Amanita mushrooms. The trail left the conifer woodlands and into the old mining areas with many ridges   that were converted into the grass covered  fields were the elk now graze. I was atop a ridge and knew my Jeep was at a parking lot on  the bottom of a ridge. I just assumed the trail would take me down to the parking lot. It didn’t. Instead,  when I got to the bottom the  trail  continued up  another ridge. It was a steep trail too. I enjoyed the views of the surrounding wooded mountains from the top but it was now late morning and the sun was hot. And not only was the trail longer than I expected, it  was now covered in high grass.It probably wasn’t  a problem for a horse but it was for me. It was hard walking through the high grass, especially after having walked almost 6 miles already In some areas in addition to the high grass there were ruts in the trail making walking difficult. Goldenrod,  fleabane and some  of the other  wildflowers I saw earlier bloomed  in the fields.  They attracted some of the same butterflies and insects and  also  a few new species  including these Aphrodite fritillary,great spangled fritillary

and  common ringlet butterflies. 

I was also please to see a few monarch butterflies in the fields of milkweed. I would have loved to stay and observe  the butterflies and insects but  it was getting hot and I was thirsty and hungry. I would  like to return earlier in the Summer when the milkweed and other flowers are blooming. I am sure there would be dozens of species of butterflies, bees, wasps  and other insects.

Finally, I came to a wider partial gravel and dirt road, much easier to walk on  but which  took me up one more long  hill. 

On the road I found this Virginian tiger moth caterpillar.

I finally came to the parking lot around noon and saw this red spotted admiral butterfly above my  Jeep.

I had hiked almost 8 miles, 3 miles more than I had planned. I wanted to hike on a few other trails  in the area. I usually don’t hike more than 7 miles in a day . I am not young anymore.  So I thought I would eat and just drive through the back roads of the Pennsylvania  Wilds.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my hikes.  Pennsylvania Wilds  Elk County. hikes part one August 22 2026. 

I was hungry after my morning hike. I didn’t want to drive back to Saint Marys so I had lunch at the Benezette again and had a salad and a fried haddock sandwich. I again enjoyed a pleasant conversation with the waitresses about Benezette and the local community.  It was tasty and  filling  lunch .

After eating,  I decided to drive and explore some more of the Quehanna Wild Area.  I drove to the Quehanna Road and took a slow drive through this 50, 000 acres of wilderness.  I passed many trails and natural areas and came to the Beaver Run Impoundment Pond.

I walked about a 1/4 mile on a trail through a mostly oak woodland,

and came to a wildlife viewing blind overlooking the pond.

The clouds over the blue waters of the pond created a beautiful scene and I  enjoyed being the only one around to enjoy it.

It was mid-afternoon and there wasn’t much wildlife activity on the pond,or in the  surrounding wetlands.

There was an osprey nest in the pond and I watched as an osprey sat and observe the surrounding waters and wetlands.

I left the blind and walked about another 1/4 mile on a grass covered road  that led to the embankment that crested the pond and wetland.

On the way I came to a common buttonball bush.The unusual flowers of this native plant,

attracted dozens of insect and butterflies including great spangled fritillary.

spicebush swalllow tail and

silver spotted skipper butterflies.  

I also was excited to see this ruby throated hummingbirds feeding on some bull thistles.   It isn’t often I seen them on my hikes.

A song sparrow was the only other birds I heard in the now late afternoon sunshine.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds, butterflies,  insects and other critters I saw on my hikes.  Pennsylvania Wilds  Elk County. wildlife August 22 2026.

I stopped and watched the butterflies before walking back to my seeing some purplestem or swamp asters growing along the trail.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the wildflowers, mushrooms and plants  I saw on my hikes.  Pennsylvania Wilds  Elk County. flora  August 22 2026.  

I wasn’t planning on it, but I had hiked another 1 1/2miles when I returned to my Jeep around 3:30. It was about 20 miles to my hotel in Saint Marys and I took a slow ride on the remote highway to my hotel, looking in the woodlands for elk.Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my hikes.  Pennsylvania Wilds  Elk County. hikes part two August 22 2026

I didn’t see any elk on my drive and I wasn’t going to see any that evening.  There were severe weather warnings for heavy rain and thunderstorms arriving around 7 p.m.    I had hiked almost 10 miles and I was hungry again . I decided to have dinner at the Dream View restaurant.  Situated atop a hill overlooking Saint Marys it was famous not only for it’ great food, but also for  it’s views of the city and the sunsets.  There would be no sunset visible this evening as  storm clouds moved in as I was starting my dinner.

I had a delicious  cup of shrimp and corn chowder,

a fresh garden salad,

and an ahi tuna sushi bowl.  The food was delicious and the staff friendly. It was a great place to watch the storm move in. I finished  my meal  just in time to make it to my car just as the rain started. I drove back in the rain and listened to the storm from my hotel room. It was along day and retired early, looking forward to another early morning ride to Benezette and Winslow Hill. This time I was hoping to see some elk.

 

“Growing up in the Pennsylvania Wilds can be magical. Some say the area is filled with big mountains, wide valleys, trout ponds, beautiful creeks, and mountains to explore.”  Ed Byers  Six Generations in the PA Wilds