Bison, Wolves, and Bears. Oh My!

On Saturday, we ventured into the “wilds” of Bearizona.   This relatively new Northern Arizona attraction is located just east of the Route 66 village of Williams, AZ.

You won’t find lions, tigers, or elephants here.  Instead the park features animals native to North America.   The Fort Bearizona portion of the park is more like a normal zoo, with large pens for bear cubs, juvenile bears, bobcats, and a kid-friendly petting zoo.

The main attraction of the park is the self-paced, drive through section.   Here, you pilot your own car through acres devoted to Alaskan wolves, Dahl sheep, burros, rare white bison, and of course the headlining stars of the park–the black bears.   The animals are free to roam within the large area so don’t be surprised if they investigate your car to see if it might be edible.    You are warned before entering the bear area to keep your windows up, because to a black bear you  are edible.

But, don’t fear.   The black bears at the park seem more content to dig for worms and gnaw on branches and apples than snack on tourists.

The second phase of the park is still under construction, and long term plans include an on-site hotel.   The facility is making a unique attempt at being green.   The underlying structure to the faux rock climbing area for the Dahl sheep is composed of old RVs, semi trailers, and city buses that are then covered with a granite like cement.

We would definitely recommend visiting Bearizona if you are in Northern Arizona.   Just a short 25 minute drive from downtown Flagstaff, this is a great family friendly attraction.