Bearizona

About Bearizona

Bearizona is a wildlife park at 1500 E. Route 66 in Williams, Arizona, on Historic Route 66. Its website describes the park as approximately 160 acres and gives its mission as promoting conservation and preservation through memorable and educational encounters with North American wildlife. The park combines two ways of seeing animals: a drive-through route taken from a visitor's own vehicle, and a walk-through area called Fort Bearizona.

The website states that over half of the park's animals are non-releasable wildlife from the wild, and describes the park as a home for orphaned animals. The park is not AZA-accredited. Its website says it is a member of the Zoological Association of America.

History

Wikipedia reports that Bearizona held its grand opening on May 22, 2010. It was founded by brothers Sean and Dennis Casey, whose parents had founded Bear Country USA in South Dakota. According to the same article, the concept was approved in July 2009, the property was purchased in August 2009 and work on the roads began in October 2009. The park's conservation page is signed by Sean Casey as owner.

Wikipedia records several additions after opening. A jaguar exhibit opened in 2016, and the Canyonlands restaurant opened in May of that year. An otter exhibit followed in 2018. The article also describes a winter festival called Wild Wonderland, with lights on the trees synchronized to Christmas music.

In spring 2020, according to the park's conservation page, three orphaned grizzly bear cubs, later named Hanna, Sky and Crockett, were captured near Dupuyer, Montana, after their mother was euthanized. Because grizzly bears are federally listed as threatened, the park needed approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take them. The page says the cubs' permanent habitat was planned at 40,000 square feet, with 50-foot peaks modeled on the Teton Mountains and a large waterfall.

Exhibits and habitats

The drive-through is a route of more than three miles through ponderosa pine forest. The website says guests may drive through as many times as they like before leaving the park, and that there is no re-entry after exiting. The drive-through page lists thirteen species visible from the vehicle: adult black bear, junior black bear, Alaskan tundra wolf, Arctic wolf, American bison, white bison, American burro, bighorn sheep, Coues deer, mule deer, pronghorn, reindeer and Rocky Mountain goat.

Fort Bearizona is a walk-through area of about 20 acres with winding paths and exhibits in a traditional zoo style. The park's website lists a wider set of animals across the park, including grizzly bears, jaguars, bobcats, beavers, Rocky Mountain elk, javelinas, raccoons, red foxes, North American river otters, American badgers, North American porcupines, miniature donkeys, Burmese pythons and northern leopard frogs, as well as the drive-through species. The website describes animal encounters with animal ambassadors in the walk-through fort, and Wikipedia says some animals are seen through shows and presentations.

Wikipedia lists a 6,000-square-foot sit-down restaurant and a 12,000-square-foot gift shop among the park's facilities. The park's website names a themed restaurant, Canyonland Restaurant, refers to the Bearizona Grille in its rules, and mentions designated picnic areas.

Conservation and programs

The park's conservation page describes a northern leopard frog pond created in partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The frogs at the pond are described as being from wild sites in northern Arizona. The page says that once the frogs breed, agency biologists will reintroduce frogs to suitable habitats around the Southwest.

The same page describes an orphaned wildlife program in which non-releasable animals receive lifetime care in large naturalistic enclosures, and says visitors learn about the animals' roles in their ecosystems. It also lists environmental practices: multiple retention ponds that capture rain and snowmelt for irrigation and water features, and the reuse of scrap steel and vehicles as foundations for waterfalls and rock structures.

Visitor programs on the park's website include animal encounters with animal ambassadors and a VIP experience add-on of about 90 minutes. The VIP experience includes a behind-the-scenes meeting with animal ambassadors and keepers, a guided ride through the drive-through on the Wild Ride bus, and a stop to watch wolf training sessions. The website states that VIP tickets do not include park admission.

Planning your visit

As listed on the park's website, Bearizona is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the website says the park is open year-round. The drive-through closes at the posted last admittance time. Admission and VIP pricing are on the park's website.

The park's rules page asks that vehicles in the drive-through be completely enclosed with working windows, and excludes motorcycles, ATVs, open-top jeeps and convertibles. The drive-through roads are gravel, the speed limit is 10 mph, and visitors must keep windows up and stay in their vehicles. Items that protrude from a vehicle, such as bicycles or luggage, must be left at a spot by the entrance. The posted rules state that there is no smoking on the premises, that feeding or touching the animals is prohibited, and that picnic lunches are permitted in designated picnic areas or on grassy areas while outside alcohol is not.

Domestic pets are allowed in the drive-through only if enclosed in their vehicles with the windows up. In the walk-through area, leashed pets and service animals may be walked in the parking lot but may not enter Fort Bearizona. Wheelchairs are available on request in Fort Bearizona on a first-come, first-served basis. The park's phone number is 928-635-2289.