Elk Trail

The Elk Trail in Elk State Forest is a 17.4 mile linear trail near Benezette, PA. The western terminus is located just outside Benezette and the eastern terminus is off of Dents Run Road. This trail is quite mild with minimal elevation gain. Sadly, this also means no vistas. This trail can typically be hiked in 1-2 days.
The trail does often make use of dirt roads which are frequently used by horseback riders. The blazing does get sporadic at times and can be confusing when the trail joins shared use trails (blazed red/yellow). We recommend you have a solid map and check it frequently.
By far, the biggest draw of this trail is the opportunity to see elk in the wild. During our trip we were fortunate to see over a dozen elk and several nice bulls. After your hike, we'd recommend checking out the Elk Country Visitor Center before heading home.

[@onthedownhillsideoflife8855]

Thank you for the great video. My wife and I are looking forward to hiking the Elk Trail next fall. We want a more quit & less crowded elk viewing experience.

[@vistaventures1343]

Glad you enjoyed it. Happy hiking!

[@danielgolite]

An excellent video. Thanks!

[@vistaventures1343]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@cryptolithus]

Just found your videos, nice work. I like how you guys take time to show the character of the trail as you go. A nice thing about the Elk Trail is that it interweaves with the Thunder Mountain equestrian trails, which can be used to make a loop instead of a linear outing. This does involve a little bushwhack down to the Pine Tree Trail NA from the NE terminus.

[@vistaventures1343]

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed it!

[@nathanmiller9250]

Nice shots of the elk!

[@vistaventures1343]

Thanks!