Elk State Park
- Status
- Status not postedDaily 8 a.m. – sunset
- Entrance fee
- Not posted
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- pa.gov(814) 778-5467
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Elk State Park is a 3,242-acre park in Elk County, about 11 miles north of St. Marys.
The park supports snorkeling and diving, hunting in season, canoeing and kayaking, boating, and fishing. On the water side, there is a boat ramp. Overnight options include campsites, with RV sites and tent sites.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 8 a.m. – sunset | — |
Official wording
The park is open every day of the year, from 8:00 A.M. to sunset. Contact the Kinzua Bridge State Park office for facility seasons and hours.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveAmerica (Aspira), Pennsylvania State Parks contract
- Phone
- 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Camping
| Campground or site type | Sites | Hookups / features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camping The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates a campground by the dam.
This activity or structure is ADA accessible. | — | — |
Camping details from the park
Camping
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates a campground by the dam.
This activity or structure is ADA accessible.
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
FishingPicnickingBoatingSnorkeling and scubaHikingHuntingCampingCanoeing and kayaking
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Trail | 0.5 mi | Easiest | Recreations permitted: hiking Trailhead amenities: modern restrooms, benches This family-friendly, gravel trail travels up a slight slope and offers sweeping vistas of East Branch Dam and East Branch lake. Hikers who venture to the end are rewarded with views of Swamp Creek Bay.Hiking |
Trail descriptions from the park
Elk State Park Map
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
Water
- Boat ramp
- Marina or boat slips
Camping
- Tent camping
- RV camping
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- 1567 Instanter Road
Wilcox, PA 15870 - Nearest town
- St. Marys — about 11 mi north (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 41.6062, -78.5600
- Phone
- (814) 778-5467
- kinzuabridgesp@pa.gov
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
Elk State Park is about eight miles east of Wilcox on State Route 1006 and about nine miles south of Clermont on State Route 1001. GPS Decimal Degrees: Lat. 41.60621 Long. -78.55995
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Pennsylvania State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026; page says updated Aug 7, 2025
- DCNR Find a Park: content-fragment JSON feed used by the pa.gov park finder
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology