Pennsylvania’s elk country is featured on the season premiere of a show on the Discovery Channel, and local officials hope the exposure leads to more tourism in the region.
“RV There Yet?” is now in its 5th season. In the show, hosts Patrice and Kevin McCabe road trip in an RV throughout America.
The destinations featured in this season’s premiere include Cook Forest State Park and the Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette.
Jeff Gauger, the Keystone Elk Country Alliance president and CEO, said he expects to see a bump in the area’s tourism because of the episode.
“There’s a lot of businesses that rely on tourism, rely on the elk herd," Gauger said. "And it’s a pretty big deal, you know. Tourism, nature viewing and wildlife watching contributes upwards of $250 million dollars a year to the local economy.”
For anyone who does travel to the area to see the elk, Gauger suggests coming early in the morning or later in the day.
"When it's cooler out, the elk will come out to feed during those times of day," Gauger said.
Gauger said several state offices helped coordinate with producers to bring the show to northwestern Pennsylvania.
Kaitie Burger, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, said she's talked with the show's producers before and had been interested in collaborating to highlight what the state has to offer.
"As Patrice and Kevin were planning for their fifth season which would air in summer 2026, they were looking to showcase destinations that connected back to historical elements to celebrate America’s 250th, and PA is, of course, a great choice for that," Burger said in an email to WPSU.
Burger said a future episode of “RV There Yet?” on August 16 will feature State College, Penn’s Cave and Bald Eagle State Park.
The episode featuring Pennsylvania’s elk aired Sunday and is now available for streaming.
