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Bear Country USA
See Badlands and Black Hills, South Dakota family vacation
Bear Country USA
Custer State Park Area
view website13820 S Highway 16
Rapid City, SD 57702+6581
605-343-2290
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Good-for-Kids Rating
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-KSchool-Age Kids
Pre-Teens & Teens
Bear Country USA Description
Bear Country USA, a drive-through wildlife park just outside Rapid City, is a great place to see bears up close -- and not in cages. Bears stroll in front of your car, stopping to stare, stretch or scratch, or even nap. Bear Country USA has more than 250 black bear as well as elk, reindeer, deer, cougars, bobcats, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, Dall sheep, and buffalo. After the three-mile drive through the park, be sure to visit Babyland, a zoo-like area that houses baby bear, fox, otters, wolves, etc. The cub show in "Babyland" is a must-see. (Note: The gift shop is huge, and kids love it. Avoid it if you don't want to be hit with a quivering lip and "but it's so cute and it only costsÂ….")
Zoo
Kid Tips
Babies: Strollers are free for use in Babyland. Ask at the gift shop.
School-Age Kids: How can a kid not like a place where bears frolic, baby bighorn sheep bounce up to look curiously in your car, and wolves pose majestically on rocks?
Planning Notes
- Keep your doors and windows shut during the drive. A boy was once attacked by a mountain lion inside his RV when he hung outside the open door. (His grandmother smacked the cat in the head and scared it off. Now the mountain lions are in a fenced-off area.)
Just the Facts
Hours: Open May through late November; daily peak season (June, July, August) hours are 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Shoulder season (May, September, October, November) hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Fees: $10 - $20
Recommended Time: 1 to 2 hours
Reviews of Bear Country USA
Lots of fun
By jloxtercamp June 17, 2008 | central minnesota
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-K
School-Age Kids
Pre-Teens & Teens
What we loved:
Kids loved seeing the animals inches from the van
What we didn't love:
the cafe
My kids loved this place. You drive through and all the animals including huge bears are right outside your window. All of my kids couldn't get enough of this place. There were about 20 tiny bear cubs in a seperate enclosure. They were a big hit. We ate at the cafe there and thought the quality of food was pretty bad. The gift shop had a lot of really good quality items if you have some extra cash you wanted to get rid of. Read More
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What's Nearby?
- Bear's Den 13820 S Highway 16
Rapid City, SD 57702
605-343-1025 43.92807083333334 -103.50447888888888 - Mistletoe Ranch 23835 Highway 385
Hill City, SD 57745
605-574-4197 43.94632277777778 -103.52514388888889 - Christmas Village 13648 S Highway 16
Rapid City, SD 57702
605-343-3440 43.926915 -103.49762194444445
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