Bear Country USA

State: South Dakota. Type: drive-through wildlife park in the Black Hills, 8 miles south of Rapid City. Opened July 1972, founded by Dennis and Pauline Casey. Spans 250 acres and exhibits 26 species of North American wildlife, with black bears as the signature attraction.

Bear Country USA is a drive-through wildlife park in the Black Hills that opened in July 1972, founded by Dennis Casey, a dentist who got the idea after visiting a similar park in California and learning that a large share of Yellowstone visitors specifically hoped to see bears. Spread across 250 acres about eight miles south of Rapid City, the park lets visitors drive their own vehicle along a three-mile route past enclosures holding black bears, elk, mountain lions, timber wolves, bison, bighorn sheep, pronghorn and reindeer, among other North American species, with strict rules requiring windows and doors to stay closed throughout the drive. A separate walking area, Babyland, showcases young and small animals, including bear cubs, and the park's Wildlife Walkway offers a shorter on-foot route for closer viewing. One of the park's bears, named Casey, gained a measure of fame appearing in films including the 1994 Jungle Book and Evan Almighty. The park has stayed in the Casey family for decades, passing through some ownership disputes after Dennis Casey's death in 2000, and remains a signature Black Hills attraction built around close, drive-through encounters with the region's wildlife.

Bear Country USA is located at 13820 US Highway 16, about eight miles south of Rapid City, South Dakota, in the Black Hills region.

The Black Hills around Rapid City have a semi-arid to continental climate with warm summers and cold, snowier winters than the surrounding Plains due to elevation; the park's main operating season (late April through late November) is timed to the milder part of the year, and it closes for the coldest winter months.

The park's longest hours run May 23-July 31 (8 a.m.-6 p.m. last entry), making early-to-mid summer the fullest-access window; hours shrink to last entry at 3 p.m. from September through the park's late-November close, so visitors in that window should plan for an earlier arrival.

Bear Country USA opened in July 1972, the creation of Dennis Casey, a dentist who conceived the idea after visiting Lion Country Safari-style parks in California and learning that more than a third of Yellowstone National Park's visitors said seeing bears was a top priority. Dennis and his wife Pauline built the drive-through park on 250 acres near Rapid City, and it grew to house 26 species of North American wildlife. After Dennis Casey's death in 2000, his son Kevin led the park until 2008; a family ownership dispute in 2010 resulted in Pauline Casey's side of the family gaining control, and Pauline passed away in 2022. Over its history the park has also supplied trained animals for film and television, most notably a bear named Casey who appeared in the 1994 version of The Jungle Book and in Evan Almighty. The park continues to hold an annual "Cubfest" event centered on its bear cubs.

The core experience is the three-mile self-drive route through the park's animal enclosures, viewing black bears, elk, mountain lions, wolves, bison and other species from the safety of your own closed vehicle. Babyland, a walking area near the exit, lets visitors see young and small animals, including bear cubs, up close on foot. The Wildlife Walkway offers a quarter-mile walking path for additional close-up animal viewing, and the park hosts an annual Cubfest event centered on newborn bear cubs.

The 3-mile drive-through route is the park's main feature, passing enclosures for its roughly 26 species of North American wildlife. Babyland and the Wildlife Walkway are the primary walking areas for closer animal encounters. The Bear's Den Gift Shop and Cub Grub Snack Shack provide shopping and food options near the entrance/exit.

Bear Country USA sits directly on US Highway 16 about eight miles south of Rapid City, making it an easy stop for visitors driving between Rapid City and Mount Rushmore or Custer State Park, both of which lie along or near the same corridor. Rapid City Regional Airport is the nearest commercial airport, from which a rental car is the practical way to reach the park.

As of research (2026 season): April 24-May 22, 9 a.m.-last entry 5 p.m.; May 23-July 31, 8 a.m.-last entry 6 p.m.; August 1-September 7, 8 a.m.-last entry 5 p.m.; September 8-September 30, 9 a.m.-last entry 3 p.m.; October 1-November 29, 9 a.m.-last entry 3 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving; weather closures possible). Confirm current hours on bearcountryusa.com before visiting.

As of research (2026 season): adults $25, children ages 5-12 $20, children 4 and under free, seniors (62+) $22, military adults $22, military children $17, with a season pass at $200. Confirm current pricing on the official site.

Plan for roughly 45 minutes to an hour to complete the 3-mile drive-through route at a reasonable pace, plus additional time for Babyland, the Wildlife Walkway, and the gift shop/snack shack.

Rapid City, about eight miles north, has the widest range of lodging in the area, from chain hotels to independent motels, given its role as the main gateway city to the Black Hills. Visitors touring the wider Black Hills, including Custer State Park and Mount Rushmore, often base themselves in Rapid City and day-trip to Bear Country USA.

The park's own Cub Grub Snack Shack offers food and beverages on-site near the entrance/exit. Rapid City, a short drive north, provides a much wider range of restaurants for visitors extending their day beyond the park.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial and Custer State Park both lie within a reasonably short drive along the same general Black Hills corridor. Rapid City itself, eight miles north, offers additional attractions and services for a longer Black Hills stay.

Rapid City Regional Airport is the nearest commercial airport, roughly a short drive north of the park; a rental car is effectively required to reach Bear Country USA and the wider Black Hills attractions, since there is no dedicated public transit route to the park.

Vehicle windows and doors must remain closed throughout the drive-through route for visitor safety around the animal enclosures, per the park's operating rules. Do not attempt to feed or reach toward animals from the vehicle. For any emergency, dial 911.

A camera or phone for photographing animals from inside the vehicle, given that windows must stay closed during the drive-through portion; cash or a card for the gift shop and snack shack; and a full tank of gas or charge, since the drive-through route itself takes time.

Because last-entry times shrink significantly after early September (down to 3 p.m.), plan an earlier arrival if visiting in fall. The park closes seasonally in late November through late April, so confirm it's open before planning a winter Black Hills trip. Combining a visit with nearby Mount Rushmore or Custer State Park makes for an efficient Black Hills day.

Dial 911 for any emergency. A direct phone number for Bear Country USA was not confirmed in the sources checked for this entry; visitors should use the contact form at bearcountryusa.com/contact-us/ or check the official site for a current phone listing.

Bear Country USA - https://bearcountryusa.com

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.