City: Rapid City, SD

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (605) 343-2290

Address: 13820 South US 16

Insider Pick:

Description: It’s not every day you have to brake for a big, burly bruin or a gaggle of geese, but at Bear Country you can count on it. Here it seems natural for the animals to roam about while the people are confined to their cars with the windows up. Besides bears you’ll see elk, reindeer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, wolves, bison, mountain lions, and other species as you drive through the 200-acre park on paved roads. After your drive you’ll be able to get out and walk through the Wildlife Center and Baby Land for a (relatively) close look at bear cubs and other small animals. The youngest visitors can take a few turns around the pony pen. (Pony rides are $1.) You’ll find more critters, though not live ones, in the Bear’s Den gift shop and gallery, where collectibles, clothing, and other items are for sale. There’s also a snack bar and picnic area for hungry folks and brownbaggers. Bear Country, 8 miles south of Rapid City, is open from early May to late Nov, weather permitting. During peak season, mid-June to mid-Aug, hours are 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily; the rest of the time it’s roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it would be wise to call ahead. Plan to spend at least an hour and a half once you get there.