Yellowstone Bear World
4.5(5.0K)google
3.7(226)yelp
WildlifeFamilyKidsInteractive
Overview
Yellowstone Bear World is a privately owned drive-thru wildlife park. It is located in Rexburg, Idaho, 80 miles from Yellowstone National Park. It was established in 1998.
Practical Info
Mon9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tue9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Wed9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Thu9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Fri9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sun9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Suggested Duration2-3 hours
Best TimeThe drive-through park is open from May to mid-October, closing for winter hibernation. The absolute peak hours are early morning at the 9:00 AM opening or after 4:00 PM. In these cooler slots, grizzly bears, black bears, and American bison are highly active and roaming the meadows, and you can book a private experience to bottle-feed elk calves or bear cubs.
Getting TherePerfectly set directly off US Highway 20, roughly 5 miles south of Rexburg on the primary corridor to Yellowstone. A private car is mandatory: drive on US-20 and look for the massive wooden bear billboard on the highway shoulder. Since this is a drive-through wildlife sanctuary, you pilot your own vehicle through the security gates into the habitats.
Travel Tips
- Roll up and lock all vehicle windows before crossing animal gates; remove or compress soft rooftop cargo and open tire covers to prevent adult bear tracking claws.
- The signature bear cub bottle feeding encounters are heavily volume-restricted; advanced online booking 30 days out is required as walk-up inventory is zero.
- Never engine-kill or exit a vehicle inside the predator enclosures; if a mechanical breakdown or blowout surfaces, stay inside and sound the horn continuously for armored escorts.
Reviews
Positive
- Driving your own car through the park with black bears, grizzlies, and moose wandering right past your window is breathtaking.
- Bottle-feeding the bear cubs is incredibly fun, paired with excellent educational wildlife knowledge from the staff.
- Features a nice little petting zoo and vintage amusement rides, making it perfect for families with young children.
- Located right off the main highway to Yellowstone, making it a highly accessible and organized drive-in roadside stop.
Heads up
- Admission is charged per person and is quite expensive, while prime activities like cub feeding require pricey upgrades.
- Peak season crowds trigger long vehicle tailbacks inside the drive-route, turning the open wilderness layout into a slow traffic crawl.
- The actual driving loop is much smaller than advertised; if the bears are sleeping, the experience can feel underwhelming.
- The food selection at the snack kiosk is thin and marked up, and restrooms suffer from heavy usage delays during rush hours.