LOGAN, W.Va. (WBOY) — After completely disappearing from West Virginia for more than 100 years, tours are now available to see the only free-roaming elk herd in the state. Since elk were reintroduced in West Virginia in 2016, the herd has more than tripled, and tickets to see it are now on sale.
West Virginia State Parks is offering elk management tours starting Sept. 9 to see the only free-roaming elk herd in West Virginia. The herd of about 90 is located in the Tomlin Wildlife Management Area, and tours begin at the Chief Logan State Park Lodge in Logan County.
According to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, elk disappeared from West Virginia in the 1800s due to hunting and timbering. In December 2016, a herd of 24 elk were moved from Kentucky to West Virginia and their population has continued to grow within the Elk Management Zone.
The approximately 4-hour tour is meant to teach people about elk, their habitat, and the management project. The tour includes a snack, the educational program, transportation to the wildlife area from the Chief Logan Lodge and a tour souvenir. The activity on the WV State Parks website says, “While the likelihood of seeing an elk is high it can not be guaranteed.”
Tickets for the tour cost $34 and are available here. To see a full list of when the tours are available, click here. Some tours are in the morning and some are in the evening, so make sure to double-check the time of your ticket.
