Elk Country Visitor Center Webcam – See Pennsylvania Elk

The Elk Country Visitor Center Webcam streams the wild elk herd around the Elk Country Visitor Center on Winslow Hill, above the village of Benezette in north-central Pennsylvania. Two HD pan-tilt-zoom cameras run around the clock, and the tabs on this page switch between Cam 1 and Cam 2. Because the cameras can pan and zoom, the view can follow the animals rather than sit on one fixed patch of ground. September and October are the rut, when bulls bugle, wallow and spar on Winslow Hill. The herd comes and goes on its own schedule, so a quiet frame at midday can look very different at dawn or dusk, the hours when the elk are most active.

About the Elk Country Visitor Center

The center stands at 950 Winslow Hill Road in Benezette, Elk County, and it is managed by the Keystone Elk Country Alliance. Inside are a Great Room with exhibits, a Discovery Room, a gift shop and a multi-sensory 4-D theater. Outside, viewing trails lead across the grounds, and horse-drawn wagon rides run during the rut. The alliance says the center welcomes more than 300,000 guests over rut season each year, and the center calls itself the premier elk viewing location in Pennsylvania’s elk country.

The elk themselves are the result of a long experiment. Wild elk had vanished from Pennsylvania, and between 1913 and 1926 the Pennsylvania Game Commission trapped and released 177 elk from western states into the northern part of the state. The herd took hold, and the Game Commission now counts as many as 1,400 elk ranging freely across about 7,770 square kilometers (3,000 square miles), mostly in Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield and Centre counties. It is the largest elk herd in the northeastern United States.

Benezette itself is small. Benezette Township covers 277.5 square kilometers (107.2 square miles) and counted just 217 residents in the 2020 census. Its villages sit in the valley of the Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek, which flows northeast through the township, and Route 555 follows the creek between Weedville to the west and Driftwood to the east. Ridgway, the county seat, lies 43 kilometers (27 miles) to the northwest.

The Elk Rut on the Elk Country Visitor Center Webcam

The rut, or breeding season, typically begins in September and carries through October, and the bugling usually tails off around mid-October. This is when the elk are most active in daylight and when the webcam is at its liveliest. A bull’s bugle starts as a low bellow, climbs into a high squeal or whistle, and ends in a series of grunts, and during the rut it can be heard echoing across the range. Bulls also roll in wallows and lock antlers with rivals in sparring matches, the behavior that draws crowds to Winslow Hill every autumn.

Dawn and dusk are the best times to catch the herd on camera in any season, and especially during the rut. Late September sits right in the middle of the season.

Weather and Climate in Benezette

Benezette sits in the forested hills of the Pennsylvania Wilds and has a cold, snowy winter and a warm summer. January brings daytime highs around 0 C (32 F) and nights around minus 8 C (17 F), and the area picks up roughly 105 centimeters (42 inches) of snow a year, most of it between December and February. Spring warms quickly, with April highs near 13 C (56 F) and May highs near 19 C (67 F).

July is the warmest month, with highs around 26 C (79 F) and nights near 17 C (62 F). Rut season falls in the most comfortable stretch of the year: September highs average about 22 C (71 F) with nights near 12 C (54 F), and October cools to highs around 15 C (59 F) and lows near 7 C (44 F). The visitor center’s own hours follow the seasons too: it opens only on weekends from January to March, Thursday to Monday in spring and in November and December, and every day from June through October.

Things to Do Near Benezette

Several public elk viewing areas sit within a short drive of the center. Winslow Hill Elk Viewing Area is the closest, and Woodring Farm lies a little further down Winslow Hill Road, with a smaller parking area and a short uphill walk to the viewing spots and trail. Dents Run Elk Viewing Area is the most popular in the state, with an accessible walkway to an overlook and interpretive displays about the herd. The Game Commission plants winter wheat, oats, grasses and clovers in the fields there every spring and fall, which draws the elk in. Hicks Run Viewing Area is about 19 kilometers (12 miles) east along Route 555.

At the center itself, the 4-D theater and exhibits fill a wet afternoon, and the horse-drawn wagon rides that return for rut season take visitors across the grounds. Whatever the spot, the Game Commission asks visitors to stay at least 91 meters (100 yards) from the elk and never to feed them, which is illegal in Pennsylvania and teaches the animals to link people, cars and homes with food.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More wildlife cams from North America and another view of rural Pennsylvania:

• Grasslands National Park Webcam
• Cape Churchill Webcam
• Fallingwater Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Elk Country Visitor Center located?

The center is at 950 Winslow Hill Road on Winslow Hill above Benezette, in Elk County, north-central Pennsylvania. Ridgway, the county seat, is 43 kilometers (27 miles) to the northwest.

What can you see on the Elk Country Visitor Center Webcam?

Two HD pan-tilt-zoom cameras stream the wild elk herd around the visitor center grounds, day and night, and can pan and zoom to follow the animals.

When is the elk rut in Pennsylvania?

The rut typically begins in September and runs through October, with bugling usually tapering off around mid-October. Late September falls in the middle of the season, with bulls bugling, wallowing and sparring.

What is the best time to see elk on the webcam?

Dawn and dusk. The elk are most active early and late in the day, and during the rut they also move around more in daylight.

How many elk live in Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania Game Commission puts the herd at as many as 1,400 elk, roaming about 7,770 square kilometers (3,000 square miles) of the north-central part of the state.

What is the weather like in Benezette?

Winters are cold and snowy, with January highs around 0 C (32 F) and about 105 centimeters (42 inches) of snow a year. Summers are warm, with July highs near 26 C (79 F), and rut season in September brings highs near 22 C (71 F).

Who operates the Elk Country Visitor Center Webcam?

The cameras stream on the PixWildlifeCams YouTube channel from the Elk Country Visitor Center, which is managed by the Keystone Elk Country Alliance.

How close can you get to the elk in Benezette?

The Pennsylvania Game Commission asks visitors to keep at least 91 meters (100 yards) away from the elk. Feeding them is illegal in Pennsylvania.

Source: PixWildlifeCams