GAYLORD — Elkview Park in Gaylord has reopened following an expansion designed by architecture and engineering firm C2AE, giving residents and visitors new opportunities to view the city’s municipal elk herd.
Per an Aug. 11 news release from the city, the project — which the city had sought for more than 20 years — was completed with support from the Michigan Spark Grant program and the Gaylord Tourism Bureau. C2AE provided grant assistance, architectural and engineering design, bidding, and construction administration.
The park incorporates universal design principles to make the space accessible and inclusive. New features include an elk viewing platform with glass railings, a pavilion with a fireplace, a playground, family-style restrooms, wide sidewalks, and accessible parking.
“Viewing the elk herd has grown into one of the biggest attractions in our community, so having a universally accessible place to view the elk was needed,” City Manager Kimberly Awrey said, noting the park honors the legacy of the late Pat Mankowski, a longtime City Council member who helped establish the herd.
According to the city, the herd includes about 60 Rocky Mountain elk, along with sika and fallow deer, on 108 acres. The city is the only municipality in Michigan to own an elk herd. Staff feed the animals corn, hay, sugar beets, and vitamins. Bulls can weigh more than 800 pounds, stand about 6 feet tall, and grow large antlers in fall and winter before shedding them in spring.
The Michigan elk herd originated in 1918, when seven Rocky Mountain elk were relocated from the western United States and released near Wolverine. The original native elk population had disappeared around 1875.
The city says September and October offer the best viewing opportunities during the breeding season.
In addition to Elkview Park, there are 13 other viewing spots near Gaylord, with maps available through the Gaylord Tourism Bureau.
