Elk State Forest

Elk State Forest is a roughly 200,000-acre protected landscape in north-central Pennsylvania, centered in Cameron and Elk counties and known for trails such as the Bucktail Path and Quehanna Trail. Its history reflects the wider story of Pennsylvania’s state forests: old-growth timber was heavily logged through 1915, leaving fire-scarred land later acquired and restored in part by nine Civilian Conservation Corps camps during the Great Depression. In 1938, eight CCC firefighters died in a wildfire near Pepperhill. Named for the native elk, the forest is now the heart of Pennsylvania’s elk range, combining recovering woodlands, wildlife habitat, hiking, and seasonal elk viewing.

Pennsylvania · United States