Directions:
From cabin head north on Highway 43. Elk will be in the farm fields, all up and down the valley, even there are only a few in one spot there may be many just down the road. GPS 35.97717, -93.40219 Boxley Valley is the very best destination to see the Arkansas elk herd which can be seen year round. Visitors can witness the entire life cycle of elk from calving in the spring, to the popular annual mating season in the fall. The elk rut extends roughly from mid-September until mid-November. The best time is to visit is either early morning to around 8AM, or from about 5PM until dark (earlier and later in summer heat). In very hot weather viewing times lessen and in cold winter weather elk might be visible all day long. Antlered elk can be visible the majority of the year. Bull elk drop their antlers around April 1 and immediately begin to regrow them. Antler growth rate is very fast, and by June the big bulls are starting to look large again. Mid-August marks the beginning of scraping of "velvet", the soft antler covering in preparation for the annual rut just one month off. The first of June is when elk give birth to their young, called calves. Newborn calf elk are seldom seen until they are a few weeks old. September through November are the peak months of the rut. During this period, bull elk bugle mornings and evenings, exciting all those lined up along the roads to view. Elk fights are common at this time. Printable Map Facilities: Toilets at Lost Valley Campground & the Ponca Buffalo River access. Nearest Gasoline: Ponca Special Issues: Traffic safety, pull completely off the road and beware of motorists gazing at the elk. Also, stay out of the farm fields, elk are large dangerous wild animals. Ponca Elk Education Center (in Ponca) Directions GPS: 36.02215, -93.36141 AGFC elk education center, nationally recognized facility. Open daily 10 - 4:30 PM, Closed Tuesday and Wednesday (870) 861-2432 http://www.poncaeec.com Official website for the Ponca Elk Education Center. No visit to the area is complete without visiting the award winning Ponca Elk Education Center. See their Annual Color Fest the end of October. Emergency Numbers: National Park Service (870) 365-2700 Newton County Sheriff (870) 446-5124 Relevant Offsite Links: http://arkansaswildlifephotography.com In-depth information on elk watching in Boxley Valley and the upper river area. Visitor guides, frequent updates, information. Very popular website with 15.000 visitors from 50 states and 33 countries. http://arkansaswildifephotography.blogspot.com In-depth coverage of elk herd locations. Periodic photos. Huge archive of 400+ entries. Daily reports and photos during the fall elk rut. |