Elk Fest Estes Park
Rocky Mountain National Park -

The elk fest is held every year in Estes Park to celebrate the elks rutting season which is prime time to view the elk. The elk of course have been celebrating this event since the dawn of time, well before this was a National Park. The Elk Fest of Colorado is held in Estes Park ever year and every year it sets records as to the number of visitors who visit during this time.  The elk gather for the annual rut and at the same time the aspen turn a golden yellow bringing even more people to the Estes Valley and Rocky Mountain National Park.

We have been going to this event for many years now and I have to say the park is down right crowed on the weekends. Even during the week there are many visitors.

The weather during this event is usually  particularly good. It is normally fairly warm still and many crisp cloudless days greet the visitors. Most of the people who attend this event stay on the eastern slope of the Rockies for there are many hundreds of animals available for viewing.  . The Grand Lake side has fewer visitors and fewer elk but the western side has moose which sometimes can bring particularly good viewing since they to are at or near rut.

The elk are out from early morning  until late in the evening. You can find them in almost all of the meadows and many hundreds of people set up their chairs at an early hour and just wait for the elk to appear at their location.

One year on our way from Horseshoe Park over to the other side at Moraine Park the traffic encountered a large bull and his harem near the side of the highway and no shoulders to pull off onto. This is spelled mess just like rush hour with an accident happening.. Here it does not seem to matter for the majority of the visitors.

This bull was determined to move them across the highway off the slope and into the valley. The cows on the other hand were not even mildly interested. It took us almost 10 minutes to reach the event from were we were in line and so the traffic had to be backed up for well over a mile maybe longer.

When we arrived at the scene the bull was crossing the highway and that of course calls for hundreds of camera's to go off all at once. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. The SUV's and car's designed with the moon roofs had kids and young people hanging out everywhere taking pictures be the hundreds.

Digital cameras are the only way to fly. Just shoot and shoot and shoot.

The picture above shows one such traffic jam around an elk herd. Be prepared if you go to be patient and enjoy yourself getting mad will not move the traffic or the elk any faster.

I can almost guarantee that the Estes Park Chamber of commerce and all it's members are extremely happy at elk rut. There are many people on the streets in the afternoons visiting stores, eating food and at the park. Many days this season has more visitors a day that at the height of the summer season.

For those of you who do not know about Elk Fest or have never been, Rocky Mountain National Park boasts an elk heard of between 5500 and 7000 animals and the sheer size is becoming worry some. However, the elk seem happy and during the rut time large bulls gather their harems and protect them with a fight to the death if necessary. This occurrence is rare.

 In the evenings the harems gather in the meadows and the bulls bellow at each other to show how studly they are, not to mention show of their beautiful racks. Six points are common and a seven point is a rarity but happens every year if you are one of the lucky ones to see him.

The elk don't just gather in the park but you can see them on the city golf courses regularly and among the houses all the time. They are not afraid of humans and have on occasion attacked and caused damage as well as injury. It is not wise to get to close but people do it all the time.

The rut lasts from late September to early November when the deer take over for another month. Oh yes, there are some magnificent deer racks (antlers) to view almost every day in the park.

You can see almost as many elk in the spring when they gather to move to the alpine meadows but there isn't any bulls in the spring like there are in the fall. They are there of course but the antlers are gone and they hang out together and are harder to see since they stay in the trees.

All in all I would say that this  event will continue to set records at least for the number of people attending. The elk are yet to be heard from. My guess is that most every vistor has a bunch of fun.

Story by Dan Keating