Elk Watching at Hardware Ranch

The last weekend in January we went up to the Hardware Ranch.  The Utah DWR feeds the elk there every winter to keep them from wandering down to Cache Valley and munching on crops and gardens there.  It's about 60 miles from Ogden, or 2 hours from Salt Lake City. 

We enjoyed looking at the elk and were glad to see several bigger bulls among them.  The week before there were only a few spikes with the herd.  I forgot to bring cash, so we didn't go on the wagon ride and had to watch them from the road instead. 

The visitor center had several exhibits, including a full body mount of a bull elk, animal skins from several different native species, and a footprint stamping area for kids. The kids really loved feeling the fur of the different animals and pressing the stamps for different footprints on a paper to bring home. 

I had a good time, but going on that wagon ride sure would have been fun!

Nearest City: Hyrum, UT
Location: N° W°
Time Needed:
Difficulty: Easy
Kid Friendly: Yes
Additional Info: Utah Division of Wildlife Hardware Ranch Website  Wagon rides out into the elk herd cost $5/adult and $3/kid.  They don't take credit cards.