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| 8 mile south Rapid City, SD on US 16 is a place called “Bear Country USA”. Believe it or not (our photos will make a believer out of you) you can drive your vehicle through the park and get up close and personal with the “wild” animals that are there. Entrance fees and other information can be found at their website: www.bearcountryusa.com Bear Country was founded in 1972 by “Doc” Dennis Casey who passed away in 2000. His wife, Pauline carries on in the family business. Doc and Pauline had 7 children. Bear Country USA has the largest privately owned collection of American Black Bear. The animals roam free in 200 acres of natural Black Hills habitat. We are told to be sure and close our windows and |
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not to get out of the car. Bears can be dangerous. Don’t worry though, there are people watching you. All kinds of wild animals roam within the park and it would be impossible to name or show photos of them all. You won’t be dis-appointed. You must be patient because there are times traffic comes to a stop while pictures are being taken through the visitors’ windows and windshields. At the entrance, they even have a place to wash your windows. The frequent stops make it more interesting if you’re a photographer. Sometimes, it seems as if the animals are posing for you. We were told when we entered, that it might take up to 2 hours to go through the park. I’m sure this is due to the photographers waiting to get a better shot. I might advise that you try and go early or late (they close at 7PM). The animals get hot too and they hide in the shade. You would also. Air conditioned vehicles are a must since your windows must be closed. We saw many RV’s going through the park enjoying the wonders of “the wild”. They even have an answer to: “what happens if my car dies or overheats”. The answer is |
to turn on the lights and blow the horn. Someone will come to help. |
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