Bearizona in Arizona is fun for the entire family
Category: Travel
Located in Williams, Arizona, Bearizona is a unique wildlife park. Guests can drive through areas where animals reside and walk through a zoo-like region filled with all kinds of animals. It’s fun to see them all up close and personal.
Driving
During the driving section of the park guests are warned to keep their windows closed when going through the areas where bears and wolves reside. Signs enforce this as they want to keep everyone – human and animal – safe. Even while driving with closed windows, the experience is awe inspiring when the bears are alert and walking around. And the wolves are also amazing to see as they maneuver their way through the grass and around the trees. Keeping a very slow pace with your car, you will be able to spot many animals in these areas, whether they are close to the road, walking on the roadway, or napping far away.
Click on the links below to see some of our driving adventures in the park
The park is expanding, making room for even more animals, and in the meantime there are so many great and often-majestic animals to view as you slowly drive through the area. American Bison, Bighorn Sheep, American Burro, various species of deer, Rock Mountain Goat, White Bison (so beautiful), and even Reindeer have their areas in which they wander freely.
Walking
The walking area includes some of the same animals you have seen in the “wild” driving section, as well as many others. American Badger, Beaver, Bobcat, Grizzly Bear, Turkey, Jaguar, Javelina, Miniature Donkey, Porcupine, River Otter, Raccoon, Prairie Dog, Rocky Mountain Elk, Red Fox, and Farm Animals are there to watch. They is a Northern Leopard Frog but after three visits to the park we have yet to see it. It is small and hides in his fairly large habitat area. There is a petting zoo with restricted hours so check with the park if that is what your family wants to experience.
Signs introduce the animals to the public, telling their names and often how long they have resided there.
Every time I visit this place I find another animal I fall in love with. The trio of Arctic Wolf is fun to watch. They play with each other and often look like they are playing “tag.” So darn cute. Click on this link to watch them playing.
Kids seem to be especially drawn to the water animals, watching the Badger and Otter swim in their private ponds.
There is a little cave that houses a Burmese Python for those who enjoy looking at snakes. I don’t. I prefer the cute furry critters, but to each his/her own.
Activities
Several times a day they put on a live show with various species of birds, birds of prey, and other animals. It’s fun to see and enjoyable for the whole family to sit and learn about the critters.
Yes, they do have a store in which plenty of fun merchandise can be purchased. There is also an interesting restaurant that looks like you are in a cave with plenty of animal drawings all around. Each area of the restaurant has a different feeling, but they all transport guests to a rural area in keeping with the theme of the park.
Bearizona is a fun family-friendly place to visit. It is located on the historic Route 66 in Northern Arizona, not far from the Grand Canyon.
For more information about Bearizona Wildlife Park, visit their website.
Author’s note: We have been there several times and always come away happy to have been with the animals. Nature is amazing and the folks at Bearizona do their best to keep all the animals safe and even rescue those in need. For instance they recently rescued three bear cubs whose mother had died. They are now thriving and it looks like they are enjoying their new lives in the large area set aside for them.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.