ESTES PARK, Colo. — It almost seems as if it were designed for elk to live here.
The town of roughly 6,000 full-time residents is full of winding streets lined by trees and brush, with some parks, a golf course and other open spaces scattered throughout.
It’s also just outside Rocky Mountain National Park, a wildlife paradise and perhaps Colorado’s version of Yellowstone National Park.
Estes Park is also home to the world-famous Stanely Hotel, supposedly a hotbed to paranormal activity.
And just like Cody and Jackson in northwest Wyoming, it draws huge numbers of visitors, and the local economy hinges on tourism.
The elk also love it there and the people love the elk. Each fall, a huge herd of elk wanders in and seems to take over Estes Park.
As evening approached Saturday, the elk emerged from their daytime hiding places in the timber and everywhere that elk gather to graze and lounge in open spaces. Meanwhile, people gathered to gawk at them.
Tourists Think Elk Are ‘Stuffed Animals’
For the most part, it’s peaceful and the elk don’t seem to mind the gaggles of humans admiring them.
Even so, locals sometimes grow weary of tourists’ stupid human tricks around the elk, mostly getting too close to the animals. Perhaps another parallel between the area and the Yellowstone region.
That can be particularly dangerous during the spring, when momma elk are protective on newborn calves. This past spring, two children were reportedly stomped by protective cow elk, although neither child was seriously hurt.
It’s also dangerous right about now as bull elk become aggressive and territorial during the rut, or mating season.
When asked by Cowboy State Daily whether people behave themselves around the elk, Estes Park local Laurie Bien-Perez answered bluntly.
“No, not at all,” she said.
She was sitting in her booth at a local fine arts fair, which was in full swing in the heart of downtown on mid-day Saturday.
The elk weren’t active that time of day, but Bien-Perez had seen a scary close call earlier.
“Some people were letting their kids get right up next to the elk, almost trying to pet them,” she said. “I don’t understand why they don’t understand how dangerous elk can be.”
Chad Aldridge of Pinedale, Wyoming, had traveled to Estes Park to display and sell his custom-made knives at the fair.
He also recalled a dicey incident watching tourists crowd elk, including a huge bull elk that had wandered in right next the town hall.
“People were walking right up to them, acting like the elk were just huge stuffed animals,” he told Cowboy State Daily.
There’s Bears, Too
Local shopkeeper Marie McCord told Cowboy State Daily that she loves the local elk, even if they require patience at times.
“Sometimes when I get home, they’ll be standing around my apartment building, and I have to sit in my car and wait for them to move out of the way before I can get out of my car and go inside,” she said.
She’s also fielded some weird questions about the elk and other wildlife.
“I’ve actually been asked, ‘When the deer lose their antlers, is that when they become elk, and when the elk shed their antlers, is that when they become moose?’” she said.
Speaking of moose, “occasionally one will show up in town too,” McCord said.
And with Colorado’s booming black bear population, there seem to be bears showing up in and around town more frequently, she added.
That’s led to some scary situations, said Jose Osornio, a waiter at the Wayfinder restaurant.
“There was a bear here last summer,” he said. “When I would take the garbage out of the restaurant at night, he’d be right there.”
Estes Park, Colorado is full of urban elk. People love to admire them. And for the most part, the elk don’t try goring or stomping people who get too close. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
Estes Park, Colorado is full of urban elk. People love to admire them. And for the most part, the elk don’t try goring or stomping people who get too close. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
Estes Park, Colorado is full of urban elk. People love to admire them. And for the most part, the elk don’t try goring or stomping people who get too close. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
People get dangerously close to a bull elk in downtown Estes Park early Saturday. (Courtesy Chad Aldridge) 
Estes Park, Colorado is full of urban elk. People love to admire them. And for the most part, the elk don’t try goring or stomping people who get too close. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
A couple of visitors to Estes Park, Colorado, take a selfie with some of the local elk. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
Every year when a huge elk herd returns to Estes Park, Colorado, they make it their town. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
Every year when a huge elk herd returns to Estes Park, Colorado, they make it their town. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily) 
Every year when a huge elk herd returns to Estes Park, Colorado, they make it their town. (Mark Heinz, Cowboy State Daily)
Wyoming Roots
The Estes Park elk have Wyoming roots.
Colorado boasts the world’s largest elk population at 280,000 strong, and has Wyoming to thank for it.
There was a time when Colorado was all but out of Wapiti. By the early 20th century, the state’s elk population was disappearing. But then Wyoming stepped in to help.
“In 1916, Colorado imported 50 elk from Wyoming to re-establish dwindling herds,” according to Colorado Park and Wildlife.
Elk Claim Church Grounds, YMCA Field
As cooler evening air moved in Saturday, a huge bull elk stood watch over a herd of cows and yearling calves on the grounds of the Estes Park Baptist Church.
The road adjacent to the church was soon lined with vehicles as people stopped to stare and shoot photos and videos.
One of them was Lynn Gierster of Boulder, Colorado.
He’s used to seeing elk in and around town, having previously lived in Jackson. But he never gets tired of watching them, and told Cowboy State Daily that he frequently drives from Boulder to Estes Park to do so.
Paying attention the animals’ body language for cues that they want people to back off is key to safe urban elk watching, he said.
“You have to respect them. You can’t encroach on them,” he said.
As big as the elk at the church were, word came that there was an even bigger bull hanging out with his harem of cows on the playing fields at the YMCA just a little way out of town in the other direction.
It was a monster bull indeed. He didn’t seem bothered by the people who had gathered around.
But to their credit, the people at the YMCA were well-behaved, giving the bull and the other elk plenty of space, and talking quietly.
Stephen Oliver of Tennessee was working his way around the perimeter, tying to get a perfect picture of the bull through his camera’s telephoto lens.
Tennessee, Kentucky and some other Eastern states have small elk herds, but Oliver hasn’t gotten to see any of them in person.
So he was thrilled when his job took him to Estes Park for a while, In his spare time he likes watching and photographing the mighty beasts.
“This is fantastic,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “This is what it’s all about.”
Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
