The Rack Shack

09/03/2026

09/02/2026

Horse-Drawn Wagon Ride Schedule 🐴

Join us for a relaxing evening ride through Pennsylvania’s beautiful Elk Country!

▪️Thursday, September 3rd - 6pm and 7pm

▪️Friday, September 4th - 5pm, 5:15pm, 6:15pm, and 7:15pm **additional times added - 6pm and 7pm**

▪️Saturday September 5th - 5pm, 5:15pm, 6pm, 6:15pm and 7:15pm

▪️Sunday, September 6th - 5pm, 5:15pm, 6:15 and 7:15pm

▪️Monday, September 7th - 6pm and 7pm

🎟️ Tickets are $25 per person. Children under age 1 ride FREE.

Tickets go on sale at 10:00 AM on the day of each ride. Guests purchasing tickets in person will be served first, followed by phone reservations at (814) 787-5167.

Seats are limited and rides fill quickly—We look forward to seeing you in Elk Country!

08/26/2026

🚧 The countdown is OFFICIALLY on! We are exactly 10 DAYS away from the Kinzua Skywalk opening back up for the fall season! 🍁 A massive shoutout to the incredible construction crews and staff who are working tirelessly behind the scenes to get everything ready for you. 👇 Check the comments for the ultimate way to experience the park this fall!

08/26/2026

🦌 THE RUT IS COMING TO ELK COUNTRY!

If you’ve ever heard the unforgettable sound of a bull elk bugling across the mountains, you know there’s nothing quite like rut season in Pennsylvania Elk Country!

But what exactly is the rut?

The rut is the elk’s annual breeding season, typically occurring from September into October. As the days get shorter and temperatures begin to cool, changing hormones signal that breeding season has arrived.

🦌 WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE RUT?

Bull elk become much more active and vocal as they compete for the attention of cows. During this time, you may see some fascinating behaviors:

📣 Bugling – Bulls make their famous high-pitched calls to announce their presence, attract cows and challenge other bulls.

💪 Sparring & Fighting – Competing bulls may size each other up, spar with their antlers or even engage in intense battles for breeding rights.

👑 Gathering Harems – Dominant bulls work to gather and protect groups of cows, often called harems, while constantly watching for rival bulls.

🌿 Rubbing & Thrashing – Bulls rub their antlers on trees, thrash vegetation and create displays that show off their strength.

💦 Wallowing – Bulls may roll and wallow in mud and coat themselves with urine, creating a strong scent that helps advertise their presence during breeding season.

👀 Constant Activity – Bulls can spend much of the rut bugling, chasing cows, challenging rivals and defending their harems—sometimes eating much less than they normally would.

⚠️ A VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER

The rut is an incredible time to visit Elk Country, but these are wild animals. Bull elk are full of hormones, unpredictable and can become aggressive very quickly.

Please enjoy them from a safe distance, never approach or surround an elk, and never attempt to get closer for a photo. Bring binoculars or a spotting scope and give the elk plenty of room.

🍂🦌 There’s truly nothing like fall in Pennsylvania Elk Country—the changing leaves, cool mountain air and the sound of a bull elk bugling across the valley.

Who else is ready for RUT SEASON?! 🙋‍♀️🦌
Photo by Jeff Lipniskis

08/24/2026

🐴 Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides Kick Off THIS WEEKEND!

Join us for a relaxing evening ride through Pennsylvania’s beautiful Elk Country!

▪️ Friday, August 28 — 6:00 PM & 7:00 PM
▪️ Saturday, August 29 — 6:00 PM & 7:00 PM
▪️ Sunday, August 30 — 6:00 PM & 7:00 PM

🎟️ Tickets are $25 per person. Children under age 1 ride FREE.

Tickets go on sale at 10:00 AM on the day of each ride. Guests purchasing tickets in person will be served first, followed by phone reservations at (814) 787-5167.

Seats are limited and rides fill quickly—We look forward to seeing you in Elk Country!

07/31/2026

🌿 Looking for something fun to do this August? 🌿

Join us at the Elk Country Visitor Center for our FREE, family-friendly Weekend Programs all month long! From wildlife tracking, fishing games, and moth nights to foraging walks, archaeology, snapping turtles, and learning all about Pennsylvania's elk, there's something for every age to enjoy.

📅 Check out the schedule below and plan your visit!

📍 All programs are FREE and open to the public. No registration required unless otherwise noted.

We can't wait to see you in Elk Country this August! 🦌💚

07/28/2026

🎉 That's a wrap on the 2026 Elk Expo 🎉

WOW... what an incredible weekend! We truly believe this was one of the best Elk Expos yet, and it's all because of the amazing people who came together to make it happen.

Putting on an event of this magnitude doesn't happen overnight—it takes months of planning, countless hours, and an entire village of dedicated people working toward one common goal.

At the heart of that village is Morgan Lovenduski, KECA's Director of Marketing. Morgan is truly the heart and soul behind the Elk Expo. From the earliest planning meetings to vendor applications, exhibitor coordination, sponsorships, speaker schedules, logistics, marketing, volunteer coordination, parking plans, event programming, entertainment, signage, permits, communications, and the hundreds of behind-the-scenes details that most people never see—Morgan pours her heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into this event. Her passion, dedication, and attention to detail are evident in every corner of the Expo, and we are incredibly grateful for everything she does to make this event a success.

A heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to our 60+ incredible volunteers who donated their time throughout the weekend. Whether you helped with setup and teardown, parking, admissions, memberships, raffle ticket sales, merchandise, information booths, seminars, greeting guests, or simply jumped in wherever you were needed—you are the backbone of this event. Your willingness to serve KECA and our mission is something we never take for granted.

To our 120+ amazing vendors—thank you for bringing the Elk Expo to life! Rain or shine, year after year, you travel from near and far to share your businesses, products, craftsmanship, knowledge, and passion with thousands of visitors. You help create the unique shopping and educational experience that makes the Elk Expo so special, and we are grateful for your continued support.

To our generous sponsors—thank you for believing in our mission and investing in the Elk Expo. Your support helps make this event possible and allows us to continue conserving and enhancing Pennsylvania's elk country while educating future generations. We simply couldn't do it without you.

A huge shoutout also goes to the entire KECA staff. The Expo isn't just a two-day event—it's months of preparation, long days, late nights, early mornings, and then the hard work of cleanup and follow-up after the last guest leaves. Every staff member wears multiple hats, solves problems on the fly, and works tirelessly to ensure our visitors have an unforgettable experience. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to making the Elk Expo a success.

And finally...

THANK YOU to everyone who attended the 2026 Elk Expo! Whether you came to shop, learn, listen to seminars, support conservation, enjoy the food, or simply spend time in beautiful elk country, YOU are the reason we do this. Seeing thousands of smiling faces enjoying everything the Expo has to offer reminds us why this event continues to grow year after year.

❤️ We can't wait to welcome you back next year!

📅 SAVE THE DATE!
Friday, June 25 & Saturday, June 26, 2027

For updates and information, visit:
🌐 https://elkexpo.com/

Thank you for making the 2026 Elk Expo one to remember. See you next year! 🦌

07/28/2026

The Rack Shack just had a few cancellations. Two night minimum stay required.
Sleeps up to six people.
Message for additional information and pricing. 

Update - September & October dates have been booked.