Colorado is home to a massive elk population, with roughly 280,000 elk living across the state. They range throughout most of the mountainous regions, foraging in meadows and alpine tundra and often traveling in herds numbering in the hundreds. Elk once roamed the state’s eastern plains too, but market hunting pushed them to the brink of extinction there. Wildlife officials reintroduced 50 elk from Wyoming in 1916, a move that helped rebuild the population to the numbers seen today.
That massive population is a big reason Estes Park has become one of the most reliable places in the country to see elk up close, sometimes too close. The town sits just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, and herds regularly wander directly into town, grazing on lawns and golf courses and frequently crossing or lingering on roadways. Sudden elk jams, where traffic stops entirely as a herd wanders across or through the street, aren’t uncommon.
Elk sightings pick up dramatically during the fall rut, when bull elk gather harems and stage loud, physical battles that draw crowds of onlookers, but elk can turn up on Estes Park roads at any time of year. In the spring, residents and tourists frequently spot cow elk with young calves, like this family spotted created traffic earlier this month.
Elk and wildlife always has the right of way over vehicles in Estes Park. Cow elk can be particularly aggressive during the spring while protecting their young, and getting too close, even in your car, can lead them to react very defensively. Always give elk lots of space no matter the time of year and remember to slow down and pay attention on the roads. Read more on elk safety in Estes Park below.
Estes Park Elk Safety Guidelines:
Elk viewing is best from a safe distance Each September and October, thousands of visitors are drawn to Estes Park to watch herds of elk gather in the valley for their mating season, or‚ rut. With this popular activity comes the responsibility for everyone to be safe and respect these majestic animals. During the rut, the male‚ or bull, elk are irritable, aggressive and extremely dangerous to onlookers who get too close.
The elk calving season takes place in May and June of each year. During this time, female elk, or cows, become irritable and highly protective of their young calves. Though they may look harmless, like the bull elk during the rut, cows are extremely dangerous during calving season.
Marked calving areas should be avoided. Caution should be exercised at all times during calving season. “Every day our dispatch center receives numerous calls for police officers to respond to elk issues around Town, and the vast majority of issues are caused by people,” commented Estes Park Police Chief Wes Kufeld. He explained that the most common reports to dispatch are people getting too close to the elk and “elk jams” caused when drivers park their vehicles in the way of traffic in order to watch the elk. Kufeld continued, “Safety should be first on the minds of elk-viewers, so they can have a great experience.”
The Police Department provides the following tips to visitors for safe elk viewing:
- Elk are wild animals which must be observed from a safe distance to avoid injury or death. If an animal is carefully watching you and appears jumpy when you move, you are too close.
- Keep pets secured on a leash and do not allow them to bark at, lunge at, or chase wildlife.
- Never block traffic. Move your vehicle to a safe place completely off the roadway to watch elk.
- Do not imitate an elk call, or bugle, when elk are irritable during the rut. This can endanger you and the elk.
- Elk know no boundaries, but people do. Respect private property when viewing wildlife.
- The Estes Park Police Department does enforce wildlife laws including laws against feeding or harassing wildlife, or allowing one’s pet to harass wildlife.
