One of the many perks of work camping has been the ability to participate in the VIP Program, where local merchants and attractions offer discounts or free admission to local seasonal workers, in the hopes their places of business will be recommended to other visitors. Bear Country USA is one of these attractions. Via the VIP program, we were able to visit this drive- through game park for free.
We arrived late morning, and while there were numerous vehicles in the park, we didn’t have to wait to gain entry and begin seeing the park’s variety of large and small game. At the entrance, the park provides a map of the various habitats, so you know which game you’re looking for as you enter each separate habitat area.
Although they highlight their bears, there is a wide variety of animals to view including elk, reindeer, bighorn sheep and mountain goats.
After having the chance to view these amazing animals up close, you enter the main attraction – the bear habitat. We had noticed one of the bears beginning to run, then saw about half a dozen other bears running as well. We wondered what was going on, then saw the food truck approaching. The bears knew it was lunch time!! At one point we had bears completely surrounding our car. If we had rolled the windows down, we would have been able to touch them (which, by the way, is not recommended or allowed). We decided that the timing of our visit couldn’t have been any more perfect. (It was between 10 am and noon).
Once you have viewed all of the large animals, you can park and walk through the small animal viewing area. There, you’ll see badgers, beavers, pigs, raccoons, arctic foxes, timber wolves and the very, very adorable baby bears.
For a fee of $5, you can purchase a cup full of food for the baby bears and feed them. These bears know that people have goodies for them. They stand on their hind legs and beg by waving their front paws.
Would you like to see video of Bear Country USA? Take a peek at our YouTube video about the experience:
If you’re an animal lover and find yourself in the Rapid City area, we recommend this experience. It was easy to access, could be completed in just a couple of hours, and was a lot of fun! We saw all sorts of RVs driving through the park, including motorhomes and travel trailers, so no need to stop and drop your toad or your trailer if you’re just passing through.
