Great hike on the Lincoln and Marion Brooks Loops last weekend.

I spent a few days in the Elk Country area of PA Wilds this summer and thought I would share for anyone planning to visit during the rut this year.

The first part of my trip was camping in Parker Dam, though it is probably too cold to camp or paddle there now it was really beautiful and peaceful, so I would recommend it for next summer. They say its a good place to see elk in the PA Parks passport, but I didnt see any there.

The second half of my trip, I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Emporium. The owners told me there is a lookout over the city where you can sometimes see an elk herd, but when I went up it was overcast and I couldn't see anything so I didn't spend much time there. It was a really charming bed and breakfast called Hygrade Inn that was decorated really cool, with dark academia/fantasy vibes that reminded me of Over the Garden Wall (a cool 10-min 10-episode cartoon series perfect for October vibes!). The breakfast was amazing each morning, and I'm glad I reserved dinner my first night because the mushroom sauce was to die for.

Not too far away is St. Mary's where I believe is PA's oldest independently owned brewery called Straub Brewery. They have an "eternal tap" during business hours where you can get a free draft brew right in the warehouse, and also offer free tours of the brewery. Fun and unique. I didn't have time to explore more but it looks like a cute town with little shops to visit.

I also tried to get a few hikes in, but during my visit it was raining a lot so I didn't get to do as much as I had wanted. I love exploring the PA Wilds though and have been to a few different spots in this region over the years. I really want to come back and see more of Allegheny forest and Cook Forest further west.

If anyone is interested, I wrote a full weekend itinerary that might be good for elk viewers: https://theadventuresabound.com/elk-country-weekend-itinerary/

The blog post was part of working with the PA Wilds but this post is not, I just wanted to share in case people were looking for a personal recommendation and more stuff to do in the area. I thought it was really cute, and want to help support these rural communities - they can really use our support!