American Gam

“When you are where wild bears live, you learn to pay attention to the rhythm of the land and yourself.” ~ Linda Jo Hunter

On the outskirts of the Black Hills and on the outskirts of Rapid City, somewhere between here and there, is Bear Country, U.S.A., a drive-thru wild animal park. 🐻

Founded in 1972 by a dentist named…

…who Treva struck up a conversation with…

Bear Country, U.S.A. offers visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with wild animals in their somewhat natural habitat. Most bears have an average touring range of one hundred miles.

You drive through the park in your own vehicle at your own leisurely pace. You stay in your cage. You stop when a bear poses for a picture. You stop when a bear waddles out in front of your vehicle. You stop when a bear decides to take a nap on the road in front of you. Or you can follow the sign…

The drive takes an hour or less and is easily “bearable.” 🐻

But it’s more than just bears. Along the route you will also see Rocky Mountain Elk, Arctic Wolves, Bighorn Sheep, Mouflon Sheep, Mule Deer, reindeer, lynx, buffalo, mountain lions and others; all separated, of course.

At the end of the drive is a large gift shop where you can get all of the touristy “bear essentials” and a modest walking park that is “bearly” more than a quarter of a mile long, where they keep smaller wildlife like fox, raccoons, skunks, prairie dogs, etc. My favorite creatures in this area were the baby bears that are kept separated from the adult bears. Perhaps they were orphaned in the wild…? There were a dozen or so of these furry little teddy bears running around, frolicking, climbing trees, tumbling and wrestling with each other with boundless energy and delightful antics. 🐻

I hope all the trees in your life “bear” fruit. 🐻

The gam continues…