Inside: Tips and helpful information before visiting Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg, Idaho.
We’ve visited Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg several times over the last few years and the whole family loves it.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission off sales made through these links at no extra cost to you. Click here for details.
Our first trip to Yellowstone Bear World was as part of a Yellowstone camping trip (it’s the perfect stop to add to your itinerary).
What is Yellowstone Bear World?
Yellowstone Bear World is a drive-thru wildlife park where you stay in your car while North American wildlife roams freely around you. Animals you’ll see include Bison, Elk, Deer and Bears.
Yellowstone Bear World is located in Rexburg, Idaho about an hour outside Yellowstone National Park.
You drive your own vehicle through the park at a slow pace while grizzly bears and black bears walk right past your windows, elk graze right outside your door, and bison cross the road in front of you.
After the drive-thru portion, you can park and visit a walk-through portion of the experience. You’ll find a gift shop, an area where kids can bottle-feed bear cubs during certain seasons (for an additional fee), plus a petting zoo with smaller animals.
Things to Know Before Visiting Yellowstone Bear World
Here are a few tips and things to know before you visit Bear World so you can make the most of your visit.
Learn the Difference Between Grizzly Bears and Black Bears
You’ll be able to see both grizzly and black bears at Yellowstone Bear World. It’s fun to learn a little bit about them and how to tell the difference between them before you visit.
Bear World Is NOT Open Year Round
The park is open from late April through mid-October, closing completely during winter months.
During the open season the park is usually open at 9:00 AM and closes at 6:00 PM.
Check the official website for open dates and hours before your visit because opening and closing dates change slightly each year and hours may also change year to year.
Visit Early if Possible
Animals are often most active during cooler parts of the day, which means early morning visits (right when gates open) will most likely give you the best show.
Mid-day visits during summer, especially when it’s hot, often mean animals are resting in shaded areas. You’ll still see them, but they won’t be doing much.
This summer we visited on a super-hot day and while a lot of animals were sleeping in the shade, we did see a lot of bears in the water and that was really fun.
So honestly the best time to visit is anytime you can make it work. You’ll have fun even if all the bears are napping.
Weekdays are the Best
Weekday visits will typically be less crowded than weekends. Less people allows you to take in the experience at your pace without worrying about other drivers. It also means that there will be fewer people throughout the whole experience.
Save Money on Tickets
One of my favorite ways to save money is with GetOut Pass. Both the Utah and Idaho GetOut memberships include admission to Yellowstone Bear World once a year.
When you purchase your GetOut pass use code THEKEELEDEAL to save on top of any sale prices.
If you don’t have a GetOut pass watch for sales and discount days on Yellowstone Bear Worlds website and Facebook page.
Vehicle Rules Actually Matter
You’re driving your personal vehicle through the park, when you enter the Park and again part way through the drive they remind you of the rules.
Rules include things like:
- Keep windows up
- Stay in your vehicle at all times
- Drive slowly
Clean Your Windows
Your car can get a lot of bugs on the windshield as you drive through Idaho, be sure to stop and clean the windows before you arrive at Yellowstone Bear World.
Clean windows will give you the best viewing experience.
Taking Good Photos Can Be Hard
One of the rules is to keep your car windows up, which means you’ll be taking your photos through the windows.
The glare from the window on really bright days can make taking good photos and videos challenging. But even though our videos and pictures from our trips aren’t the best quality we still love watching them and remembering our trips.
The Cub Feeding Cost Extra Cost
Between late spring and mid-summer, Bear World offers bottle-feeding sessions with bear cubs in a controlled area.
This experience costs extra beyond general admission and is only available at specific times each day.
The Petting Zoo
After visiting the baby bears we went into the Petting Zoo area. This area is a good size and there are several fun farm animals to see and pet along with deer.
Sink for Washing Your Hands
Righ outside the petting zoo area is a sink with soap and paper towels for washing your hands. There are also restrooms just a few steps away.
Food and Snack
There’s a snack bar in the outdoor area serving basic theme park food that is priced similarly to theme parks.
The day we visited was really hot so we ended up getting ice cream which the kids loved!
I personally don’t think you need to worry about eating while at Bear World, you can stop at a restaurant or have a picnic once you’re done with your visit.
But there are food options if you want to eat while watching the baby bears.
Rides
One of my kids favorite parts of Yellowstone Bear World is the little rides. They love the little log coaster and the spinning bears.
There is also a bumpy car ride, a train and a Ferris Wheel.
See Dinosaurs
Jurassic Creek is a recent addition to Yellowstone Bear World and is a great place to see Dinosaurs.
There are a lot of fun Dinosaurs to see in this area and even a few little dino rides (they’re small movement rides like they used to have at grocery stores).
This area also has a fun fountain show and a little carousel for kids to enjoy.
One of our favorite parts of this area is the dino trash cans!
Gift Shop
On your way in and out of the walking area of the park you’ll pass through the gift shop packed with fun things to buy. We had to try the cotton candy machine and get a magnet to add to our collection.
We had a great day at Yellowstone Bear World and we can’t wait to visit again.