Elk State Forest

Elk State Forest
Elk State Forest
IUCN category VI (protected area with sustainable use of natural resources)
	Jerry Ridge Vista, Elk State Forest, in Cameron and Clinton Counties
	Location of Elk State Forest's headquarters in PennsylvaniaLocation Map of Elk State Forest Holdings
Location	Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates	41°20′00″N78°17′29″W / 41.33333°N 78.29139°W
Area	200,000 acres (810 km2)
Elevation	1,686 ft (514 m)
Established	1900
Governing body	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Website	Elk State Forest

Last updated December 17, 2023

Elk State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #13. The main offices are located in Emporium in Cameron County, Pennsylvania.

History

The history of Elk State Forest is very similar to that of the other state forests in Pennsylvania. The land was primarily acquired from lumber companies during the early 20th century. Vast stands of old-growth forest had been harvested by the lumber companies during the mid-to-late 19th century. The earliest lumbering operations harvested the largest of the white pines for use in the shipbuilding industry. The tall and straight timbers were ideally suited for use as ships masts and spars. The logs were lashed together with rope and floated down the tributaries of the West Branch Susquehanna River and into the river on their way to the shipyards of Baltimore. Once the white pines were gone the lumbermen turned to the hemlock for use as lumber. Sawmills and lumber camps sprang up throughout what is now Elk State Forest. Much of the timber was floated down Driftwood Branch, First Fork and Bennett's Branch to the West Branch Susquehanna River and into the Susquehanna Boom near Williamsport. The lumber era in the area of Elk State Forest lasted until 1915 when the last raft was floated down the Driftwood Branch.^[1]

The departure of the lumber companies left a forest that was described as a vast wasteland of tree stumps and dried treetops. Sparks cast off by passing steam trains ignited wildfires that slowed the growth of the thriving second growth forest of hardwoods that is now Elk State Forest. The formation of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt was key to the revitalization of the forests of Elk State Forest. The young men of the CCC cleared the forest and streams of the dried underbrush that was the fuel for the devastating wildfires. Nine CCC camps spread throughout the forest worked to build roads, trail and bridges throughout Elk State Forest. They also fought the periodic wildfires. On October 19, 1938, during a wildfire near Pepperhill to the north of Sinnamanhoning, eight young men from the CCC lost their lives when they were trapped on a steep hillside while fighting the raging fire. The Wayside Memorial Spring south of Emporium on Pennsylvania Route 120 in Bucktail State Park Natural Area is maintained as an honor to the men who lost their lives battling forest fires for the CCC.^[1]

Elk herd

Elk State Forest is named for the animal elk (wapiti). Although native to Pennsylvania and the area, the last wild elk in Pennsylvania was killed in 1867 near Ridgway.^[2] Elk from the Rocky Mountains were reintroduced to the area between 1913 and 1926 and the herd today has over 600 animals. This is up from a low of just 35 elk counted in the 1970s.^[2] Their range is mostly in southeastern Elk and southwestern Cameron counties. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is responsible for maintaining the elk herd in Elk State Forest and the surrounding area. In an effort to keep the herds away from agricultural areas the game commission maintains the forest in a way that suits the feeding needs of the elk. Scattered tracts of trees in the forest have been sold to lumber companies. The forest that grows in place of the harvested timber provides a variety of browse that is needed by the elk. The game commission also maintains sections of grassy areas in various locations throughout Elk State Forest providing further variety in feed for the elk.

Visitors to Elk State Forest may chance upon an elk especially during the mating season which occurs in September and October. All visitors are encouraged to keep a safe distance from any elk, but especially the bull elk who can be very dangerous during the rutting season.^[2]

Neighboring state forest districts

Nearby state parks

Natural Areas and Trails

Elk State Forest is home to the Quehanna Wild Area (48,186 acres or 19,500 ha), as well as Johnson Run Natural Area (216 acres or 87 ha), Lower Jerry Run Natural Area (892 acres or 361 ha), Pine Tree Trail Natural Area (276 acres or 112 ha), Bucktail State Park Natural Area (16,433 acres or 6,650 ha), and M.K. Goddard/Wykoff Run Natural Area (1,215 acres or 492 ha).

Major hiking trails in Elk State Forest include the Bucktail Path and the Quehanna Trail. Other trails include the Fred Woods Trail and the Elk Trail.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 120</span> State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 120 is a state highway in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States. It stretches from U.S. Route 219 in Ridgway east to US 220 near Lock Haven.

Susquehannock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #15. The main office is located in Coudersport in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Tiadaghton State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry. The forest is primarily in western and southern Lycoming County, with small portions in Clinton, Potter, Tioga, and Union Counties. The district's topography consists of narrow, flat to sloping plateaus cut by deep, steep-sloped valleys carved by fast moving mountain streams, including Pine Creek, Slate Run, and their tributaries. The Tiadaghton district extends south across the lowland along the west branch of the Susquehanna River to the narrow crests of Bald Eagle Mountain and North and South White Deer Ridge. The majority of forest cover is dominated by mixed oak forests, with some areas of northern hardwoods. The Tiadaghton State Forest is one of eight forest districts in the Pennsylvania Wilds region.

Sproul State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #10. The main offices are located in Renovo, Pennsylvania in Clinton County in the United States.

Tioga State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in District #16, in the Allegheny Plateau region within Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

Upper Pine Bottom State Park is a 5-acre (2.0 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is in Cummings Township on Pennsylvania Route 44 and is surrounded by the Tiadaghton State Forest. It is on Upper Pine Bottom Run, which gave the park its name and is a tributary of Pine Creek. Upper Pine Bottom State Park is in the Pine Creek Gorge, where the streams have cut through five major rock formations from the Devonian and Carboniferous periods.

Colton Point State Park is a 368-acre (149 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is on the west side of the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is 800 feet (240 m) deep and nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across at this location. The park extends from the creek in the bottom of the gorge up to the rim and across part of the plateau to the west. Colton Point State Park is known for its views of the Pine Creek Gorge, and offers opportunities for picnicking, hiking, fishing and hunting, whitewater boating, and camping. Colton Point is surrounded by Tioga State Forest and its sister park, Leonard Harrison State Park, on the east rim. The park is on a state forest road in Shippen Township 5 miles (8 km) south of U.S. Route 6.

Black Moshannon State Park is a 3,480-acre (1,410 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Rush Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It surrounds Black Moshannon Lake, formed by a dam on Black Moshannon Creek, which has given its name to the lake and park. The park is just west of the Allegheny Front, 9 miles (14 km) east of Philipsburg on Pennsylvania Route 504, and is largely surrounded by Moshannon State Forest. A bog in the park provides a habitat for diverse wildlife not common in other areas of the state, such as carnivorous plants, orchids, and species normally found farther north. As home to the "largest reconstituted bog in Pennsylvania", it was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for its "25 Must-see Pennsylvania State Parks" list.

Ravensburg State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Crawford Township in Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is in a gorge carved by Rauchtown Run through the side of Nippenose Mountain. Ravensburg State Park is 78 acres (32 ha) of wooded land that is almost entirely surrounded by Tiadaghton State Forest. This state park is on Pennsylvania Route 880, 8 miles (13 km) north of Carroll and 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Jersey Shore. The nearest city is Williamsport.

Sizerville State Park is a 386-acre (156 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Portage Township, Cameron County and Portage Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is nearly surrounded by Elk State Forest making it part of one of the largest blocks of state-owned land in Pennsylvania. Sizerville State Park is on Pennsylvania Route 155, six miles (10 km) north of the borough of Emporium.

Leonard Harrison State Park is a 585-acre (237 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is on the east rim of the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is 800 feet (240 m) deep and nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across here. It also serves as headquarters for the adjoining Colton Point State Park, its sister park on the west rim of the gorge. Leonard Harrison State Park is known for its views of the Pine Creek Gorge, and offers hiking, fishing and hunting, whitewater boating, and camping. The park is in Shippen and Delmar Townships, 10 miles (16 km) west of Wellsboro at the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 660.

Sinnemahoning State Park is a 1,910-acre (773 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Grove Township, Cameron County and Wharton Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park is surrounded by Elk State Forest and is mountainous with deep valleys. The park is home to the rarely seen elk and bald eagle. Sinnemahoning State Park is on Pennsylvania Route 872, eight miles (13 km) north of the village of Sinnamahoning. In 1958, the park opened under the direction of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry: it became a Pennsylvania State Park in 1962.

Bucktail State Park Natural Area is a 16,433-acre (6,650 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Cameron and Clinton Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park follows Pennsylvania Route 120 for 75 miles (121 km) between Emporium and Lock Haven. Bucktail State Park Natural Area park runs along Sinnemahoning Creek and the West Branch Susquehanna River and also passes through Renovo. The park is named for the Civil War Pennsylvania Bucktails Regiment and is primarily dedicated to wildlife viewing, especially elk.

Ole Bull State Park is a 132-acre (53 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Stewardson Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is located on Pennsylvania Route 144, 26 miles (42 km) north of Renovo and 18 miles (29 km) south of Galeton. Ole Bull State Park is in the Kettle Creek Valley, and is surrounded by Susquehannock State Forest. The woods surrounding the park are called the Black Forest because of its once dense tree cover.

Hyner Run State Park is a 180-acre (73 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Chapman Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Renovo and 3 miles (5 km) north of Hyner on Pennsylvania Route 120. Hyner Run State Park is surrounded by Sproul State Forest.

Simon B. Elliott State Park is a 318-acre (129 ha) Pennsylvania state park located in Pine Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Moshannon State Forest. The park is entirely wooded with second growth forests of mixed oak species, including northern red oak, chestnut oak, shagbark hickory, red maple, and tulip poplar, and northern hard woods, including sugar maple, black cherry, aspen, birch, hemlock, and ash. S. B. Elliott State park is 9 miles (14 km) north of Clearfield on Pennsylvania Route 153 just off exit 111 of Interstate 80.

Parker Dam State Park is a 968-acre (392 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Huston Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Moshannon State Forest. Parker Dam State park is 17 miles (27 km) north of Clearfield on Pennsylvania Route 153 just off exit 111 of Interstate 80. The park was constructed during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps; they built many of the facilities that are in use today at Parker Dam State Park.

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is near Galeton, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It documents the history and technology of the lumber industry that was a vital part of the economic development and ecological destruction of Pennsylvania.

Quehanna Wild Area is a wildlife area within parts of Cameron, Clearfield and Elk counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania; with a total area of 50,000 acres, it covers parts of Elk and Moshannon State Forests. Founded in the 1950s as a nuclear research center, Quehanna has a legacy of radioactive and toxic waste contamination, while also being the largest state forest wild area in Pennsylvania, with herds of elk. The wild area is bisected by the Quehanna Highway and is home to second growth forest with mixed hardwoods and evergreens. Quehanna has two state forest natural areas: the 1,215-acre (492 ha) M.K. Goddard/Wykoff Run Natural Area, and the 917-acre (371 ha) Marion Brooks Natural Area. The latter has the largest stand of white birch in Pennsylvania and the eastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Creek Gorge</span> A gorge carved by Pine creek in Pennsylvania, United States

Pine Creek Gorge, sometimes called The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is a 47-mile (76 km) gorge carved into the Allegheny Plateau by Pine Creek in north-central Pennsylvania.

References

1 2 "History of the Elk State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
1 2 3 "The Pennsylvania Elk". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2007-06-13.

"Elk State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on February 25, 2004. Retrieved 2006-07-12.Note: As of July 2006, this web page has not been updated to reflect the Pennsylvania State Forest Districts realignment.
"State Forest Districts". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2006-07-12.Note: Map showing districts after the July 1, 2005 realignment

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[history-1] 1 2 "History of the Elk State Forest". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2007-06-13.

[elk-2] 1 2 3 "The Pennsylvania Elk". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2007-06-13.

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