A Weekend in the Wilds: Your Itinerary for Outdoor Adventures in PA’s Elk Country

Elk Country Weekend Itinerary

Your home base during this weekend will be in Emporium, Pennsylvania, which is located perfectly between the Dark Skies and Elk Country regions of the PA Wilds.

It’s a good jumping off point for hiking, stargazing, and elk viewing.

Day 1 – Settling in and a cozy start, plus stargazing

Start your first day by moseying around town exploring the small shops around Emporium. It is a small town, but there are a few charming spots and historic places. Don’t miss the Artisan Center at Cameron County Chamber of Commerce.

I snagged some extremely generously priced handmade pottery here to commemorate my trip!

For dinner, enjoy a locally sourced meal at the hotel (must be reserved in advance) – trust me it is extremely worth it. I had the weekly special – a mushroom ravioli that was bathed in a cream sauce so delicious I wanted to swim in it. Yea, that good!

Relish in a relaxing afternoon

Spend the evening relaxing on the front porch beneath the ferns with a good book or your favorite cozy hobby. 

I brought some watercoloring kits from the PA Wilds Marketplace I ordered online ahead of time and they were really easy to follow! The kit comes with dots of high-quality watercolor pigments and detailed instructions to fill in the outlines.

The quality you get for the price is really good, and it’s always fun to support a local artist especially in such a rural area.

Stay up late for epic stargazing

If the weather is clear and you’re still up for a little adventure later in the night, try stargazing at May Hollow Skyway. 

The park recently went through renovations and is now open to the public, even offering some programs during the summer. Note that the road is closed in winter from November through April and visitors have to hike in from the parking area on May Hollow Rd.

Check the park’s official Facebook Page for the most up-to-date information.

Day 2 – A day of adventure and exploring

Start with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, cooked fresh and to your order. Hygrade Inn usually offers a selection of freshly prepared breakfast options both sweet and savory, so I opted to try something different each day. I especially enjoyed their take on a savory dutch baby and would highly recommend giving that a try one of your days there.

Today is your main day of exploring, and there is much to choose from between trails, overlooks, and wildlife spotting in PA’s great outdoors.

Put the Elk in Elk Country

If you’re in town to spot some elk, you may want to get an early start as elk are most active during the cool hours before 9 am or after 5 pm, and the main viewing area is about a 50-minute drive away. 

Keystone Elk Country Visitors Center is open year-round, though hours vary throughout the year, and is a great starting point for orienting and setting a game plan to see the wild elk herd. This is one of my favorite things to do in the PA Wilds, so I highly recommend stopping by! 

During the months of September and October, the elk “rut” takes place, when the herds come together to compete and find mates. Elk will be easily spotted from several lookout points dotting the Elk Scenic Drive, including Hick’s Run, Winslow Hill, and Dents Run wildlife viewing areas.

Outside of mating season, elk herds move in smaller groups; usually the females with their young stay separate from older males and can be seen grazing near forest edges in the cooler hours of the day. We had a harder time spotting them during my visit in July, but I did see a few of them on my drive towards the viewing area in a private backyard.

Always respect private property, and don’t stop for elk in the middle of the road or in someone else’s driveway. Be Elk Smart by giving the wild animals space (at least 100 yards), and never try to give them food.

You can also catch the elk online during the rut; just check the Elk Cam.

Embrace the wild’s outdoors

If you don’t have luck spotting wildlife, or want to find a trail, you can find lots of cool spots in the Purple Lizards outdoor maps. Some options close by are the Fred Woods Trail, Bucktail Overlook, and Pine Tree Natural Area.

Dinner back in society

From the visitor’s center and viewing areas, head towards St. Marys town to grab dinner. If it’s open check out Nuthatch Studio for one-of-a-kind locally made pottery pieces on the way.

If you love tasting tours, stop by Elk Mountain Winery for local wine, or take a brewery tour at Straub, one of the oldest independently owned breweries in the country! 

Straub Brewery is locally famous for their Eternal Tap – basically the original owner decided he wanted to have an ever-flowing and always-available tap so he put one right in the brewery warehouse and locals could come by anytime, day or night, for a free glass of beer. 

These days the tap is limited to the office’s normal business hours (makes sense) and limited to 2 glasses per guest (also makes sense).

St Mary’s has some cute local businesses if you can catch them open, including Calypso & Co, and Brandy Camp Creamery.

Day 3 – Final day to make a splash

Wake up and grab coffee downstairs, which is always available, and start with an early morning drive to the Emporium Lookout, only 15 minutes away, to catch a sunrise. If you’re lucky, you might also see a local elk herd that sometimes hangs out nearby.

Try another offering at the hotel breakfast, then choose between a paddleboating tour or an easy hike.

Paddleboating on a dam reservoir

If you are in town on a Sunday, Sinnemahoning State Park offers free tours on their paddleboat, led by a state biologist. The tours are popular and usually have to be reserved in advance, but they offer several outings each week, and I was able to secure a spot only a few days before my summer visit.

We spotted several birds, turtles, butterflies, and even rattlesnakes (safely from the boat), and the tour before ours even saw an elk from the shore. I was really impressed with how knowledgeable the tour guide was, and excited to nerd out to nature as we peacefully floated along the reservoir.

Going off the beaten path

Try exploring the Quehanna Wild Area near Moshannon State Forest to stretch your legs on your last day in Elk Country. 

I enjoyed Table Falls, which is accessible just off the main Elk Scenic Drive and a short but steep walk, and also spotted Wykoff Run Falls on the map which is similarly easy to access from the road a little ways down.

Beaver Run Pond is a short drive away with an enjoyable flat hike to a lookout blind where you can spot wildlife. I saw this Osprey in a nest and when I got home to pull the photo up on my computer, I realized there were actually two of them!

If you’re looking for more of an adventure, grab the Moshannon-Quehanna or PA Dark Skies Purple Lizard Maps to find your own. Many trails and overlooks are listed, but be especially on the lookout for the tiny purple lizard icons that denote something cool on the map (and it’s a surprise every time!)