Explore Bear Country USA

Come face-to-face with a black bear minutes away from Mount Rushmore! Bear Country USA is an outdoor zoo that takes its guests on a drive-through tour of North America’s most intimidating (yet peaceful) wildlife. Hope you’ve brought your camera, because we are going to dive into everything that makes Bear Country spectacular. 

Address: 13820 US-16, Rapid City, SD

Phone: 605-343-2290

Hours of Operation: 9AM - 3PM (Closed Thursdays)

The season runs from late-April until the end of November. 

Admission

Adult Admission: $20

Seniors and Military: $18

Drive Through Zoo

Peer into the wilds of America from the safety of your car! The drive-through tour will bring you within feet of some of the most ferocious beasts in the western world. You’ll see dozens of furry friends walking the very trails you’re driving on. Keep a safe distance from the animals, but feel free to spend a healthy amount of time looking at them.

When guests have gotten too close to the animals, occasionally the bears or goats will hit the visitor’s car, leaving a nasty scratch or dent in their vehicle. Keep that in mind when you start your drive.

What animals will you see at Bear Country?

• Black Bears
• Buffalo
• Coyote
• Bobcat
• Bighorn Sheep
• Badger
• Baby Bears
• Beaver
• Arctic Wolves
• Arctic Foxes
• Porcupine
• Pronghorn
• Reindeer
• Timber Wolves
• And more!

Wildlife Walkway

Gawk at some of the smaller critters that don’t want to share the same space as the apex predators. On this trail you’ll see a variety of small mammals and birds. 

Probably the highlight of the Walkway is Babyland, where you’ll see bundles of baby bears playing, frolicking, and eating straight from the bottle.

Cubfest

One of the biggest draws for many of our guests is this annual spring event. You’ll have the chance to pet and feed baby bears from the bottle on top of all the normal zoo activities like the drive-through experience. While they haven’t been able to hold the event in recent years, you can keep up-to-date on the next Cubfest through the Bear Country website.

When is the best time to go?

While the middle of the summer is probably the most popular, don’t sleep on a fall or spring visit to Bear Country. The animals will be a bit more active as it won’t be as warm, so you’ll be more likely to get better pictures of the bears and wolves.

How far is Bear Country USA from Mount Rushmore?

Are you hoping to jump from one attraction to the next? It’s only a 22-minute drive of 14 miles to get to Mount Rushmore from this zoo. If you want to learn about the Mount Rushmore experience, take a look at our guide to the national memorial.

How long does a visit to Bear Country take?

If you want to experience everything the zoo has to offer, a trip to Bear Country lasts at least one hour. 

Is Bear Country USA a National Park?

No, it’s a privately-owned zoo.

What is the pet policy?

All pets are allowed in the drive-through portion of the park, but no animals are allowed in the Wildlife Walkway Area. Make sure to bring a leash.

Is Bear Country USA humane?

Many zoos have gotten a bad reputation (sometimes rightfully so) for the way they’ve treated their animals. Bear Country USA has large open areas for its animals to roam and continuously demonstrates that it cares for its animals.

Overall, if you love animals and want to see cute critters, a trip to Bear Country will be worth it no matter what. Many of the visitors here love it. If you’d rather focus on the historical sights here, you may want the idea of visiting Bear Country to hibernate.