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Valentyn
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4 out of 5
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Bear Country in Bear Country

  • October 1, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by weeblewobble46 from Marietta, Georgia
Bear Country in Bear Country

Bear Country is an enclosed drive through zoo. The critters are kept in separate areas that are divided by fencing and gates. Each area is large enough for the animals to range and react as if they were in their natural surroundings.

We were able to see the Elk and Bison fighting for mates (it was rutting season). Wolves and sheep wandered around in their enclosures as if they were in the wild. The bears are the big draw. They hide in caves built from rocks, sit in the middle of the road (just chillin'), and climb among the rocks and logs placed in their enclosure. After the drive through area, there is a nice "baby bear" area that also includes some assorted critters in fenced in enclosures. We enjoyed seeing the animals (except the porcupines who refused to look our way) and the baby bears who climbed all over each other and the logs and rocks.

This is an exhibit that can be enjoyed by adults and kids of all ages. Be sure to keep your windows wound up during your drive since these are wild animals after all.

From journal Rapid City and Surrounds

Editor Pick

Bear Country USA

  • January 9, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by mommaRonni from Ames, Iowa
My husband and I had visited Bear Country USA on our honeymoon 15 years ago and loved it then. We were so excited to take our kids: ages 10, 8, 6 and 2. They loved every minute of the drive-through part. My six year old said, "This is just like animal planet!" She was talking about how we were so close to all of the animals. I had our 2 year old on my lap so she could see better, and a big black bear came up and licked the window... my 2 year old licked the glass on the other side and we all laughed so hard it scared the bear away!

The best part about the tour was the walking area at the end of the enclosure. It is all new since our honeymoon. We saw the baby bears, otters and probably the best Grizzly Bear exhibit I have ever witnessed. It had a huge waterfall, a stream and pond with a big log stretched over the top. From atop the log lounged the bigger grizzly -people watching I guess. There was also a cave, a sandbox, trees (that one of the bears was climbing) and a big grassy area.

There was a day-camp going on at the time for kids age 8-12. Next summer I will plan ahead and see if I can get my two oldest into the camp... the campers were playing games and giving ice-treats to the animals.

I must also mention how clean the place was: exhibits, snackbar, walking area and especially the bathrooms! When you're potty-training a little tyke, you get to see public bathrooms from all sorts of angles! These must have been the cleanest bathrooms in America!

Definitely a must see for families... and kids of all ages!

From journal Black Hills Weekend

Bear Country U.S.A.

  • August 5, 2005
  • Rated 3 of 5 by huddlesgirl from Centennial, Colorado
Bear Country is a premier drive-through wildlife park. There are around 25 different species of native North American wildlife that (mostly) freely roam a 200-acre preserve. They do have to keep the wolves away from the elk and deer and the grizzly bears away from human automobiles! It is about a 3-mile drive, and you are guaranteed to see mountain lions, elk, reindeer, wolves, buffalo, and black bears. At the end of the drive is a short walk around babyland, which hosts zoo-like exhibits with fuzzy, cuddly baby bears, wolves, and otters you can ooooh and ahh your heart away at!

There is also a very nice gift shop to purchase everything you can dream up with a bear or wolf on it. To top it off, there is an overpriced burger stand that sells buffalo burgers--yeah, buffalo. All in all, this is actually a pretty wild adventure, and you can get some nice, up-close photos of bears. And the babies are adorable. The price is a little steep, and I just have to wonder about the animals' well-being. The habitat just doesn’t seem that advanced or large enough for all the animals there. This is a one-time thing!

From journal A Touristy Tour Through Rapid City

Bear Country USA

  • September 28, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Casual Tourist from Enterprise, Kansas
Bear Country USA is more or less a wildlife refuge. Most of the animals roam free throughout the compound, though some are caged. Generally, it's the predatory animals that are caged, such as large cats, foxes and wolves. Animals such as the bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, reindeer and deer were free to roam about, as were the various types of bear.

It seems that it took about an hour and a half or so to drive through the compound. For the most part, the animals were close enough for viewing, but in some instances they were difficult to find.

From journal Great Things to do Round and About Rapid City

Bear Country

  • August 11, 2000
  • Rated 2 of 5 by Valentyn from Fort Worth, Texas
Bear Country

This is a drive-through safari, but we really didn't enjoy it too much. (Hopefully it has improved in the intervening years.) The animals were very listless, and it seemed like the habitat was just not suitable for them. (An Arctic timber wolf in 100 degree heat -- looked miserable to us.) The only part we really got excited about was the plethora of baby bears climbing around in a specialized paddock. Tourists were allowed to get out there and take pictures.

From journal Midwestern Roadtrip - Rapid City, SD

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