WVDNR opens ticket sales for 2026 Elk Tours at Chief Logan State Park
WVDNR opens ticket sales for 2026 Elk Tours at Chief Logan
Robert Fields | WVOW News
LOGAN The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) has opened ticket sales for its 2026 Elk Management Tours in Logan County.
The tours give visitors an opportunity to see elk and learn about the state’s restoration efforts.
The first tour is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, with additional tours offered on weekends through October 24. Each four-hour guided tour begins and ends at Chief Logan Lodge in Chief Logan State Park.
Morning tours begin at 5:30 a.m. Evening tours begin at 4:30 p.m.
The recommended age for the tours is twelve years and older, and all attendees are required to wear closed-toed shoes and long pants. Participants should arrive at least 15 minutes early and be prepared to walk some distance. According to an announcement by the WVDNR, these tours, which offer a two to three-mile walking excursion, provide participants with an opportunity to learn about the state’s elk management history.
Tours are led by park naturalist Lauren Cole. The division says Cole will provide information about that history, as well as elk behavior and conservation. She takes participants to areas with the best chance of viewing or hearing elk. However, the division says sightings of elk are not guaranteed while on the tours.
The Tomblin Wildlife Management Area also has an elk-viewing platform and education center that opened last year. A level viewing area is available for visitors with limited mobility.
The WVDNR launched its Elk Restoration Project in 2016 with 24 elk from Land Between the Lakes. Since 2018, another 95 elk have been introduced to the Tomblin Wildlife Management Area, including 53 from Kentucky and 42 from Arizona.
Tour availability and booking information are available through the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources and West Virginia State Parks websites.
PHOTO | WVDNR
