Recently my wife and I enjoyed a long but scenic drive to beautiful Williams Arizona to visit Bearizona Wildlife Park. While we had heard often of the par; the nearly 3.5 hours drive each way made it a bit tricky as usually, we are only in that part of the state when we are driving back from a convention in Las Vegas or doing a drive tour or coverage in Sedona or Flagstaff.
Thankfully we were able to block out a full day and had a very enjoyable drive that was punctuated with a roughly 25-degree drop in the weather which was a welcome change from the growing heat in the Phoenix area.
We knew we had arrived thanks to helpful signage near the exit and a very attractive archway and video board and the entrance to the park. A short wait to reach the drive-up ticket booth followed a greeting from a very happy and helpful staff member who informed us of the rules regarding the drive portion of the trek. The main rules were to keep the windows up, do not feed the animals, and keep moving around the bears.
The first part entailed a scenic drive with Mountain Goats, Wolves, and Donkeys. Each animal set was in its own sections and had plenty of room to roam, rest, eat and play. We saw multiple hideaways with animals resting the day away.
The Junior Bears were up next and they did indeed have an interest in the cars and would often come up close to the cars which made for some amazing photo and video opportunities. The next segment involved White Bison and it was amazing to see the herd eat, roam, and interact with one another.
The final segment of the drive involved the Adult Bears and they were abundant in dens, by the water, resting on rocks, or roaming about.
The next segment of the park featured a walking section which was in keeping with a traditional zoo as there were great exhibits with Porcupines, Raccoons, Otters, and multiple other animals including a Jaguar. While it is not as large an area as some places it featured amazing scenery as well as food stands, shops, and other amenities.
Dining options include the Bearizona Grill for quick service items and snacks and Canyonlands which offered more traditional dining options.
Bearizona also allows guests to take as many drives around the driving portion as they wish during their visit and that is exactly what we did after doing the walking portion so we could enjoy more of the up-close viewings of the animals.
Bearizona is a very enjoyable and affordable destination for the entire family. For those who plan to attend with four or more people; an Annual Pass may be an option to consider as the park offers three different options so guests can find the one that works best for them.
Our visit was more than worth the almost seven-hour drive for us and we thought frequently of how much our Granddaughter would enjoy the park and are already looking forward to our next visit.
For more information, please visit them online at
Drive-Thru Wildlife Park: Bearizona Wildlife Park
Here are some pictures and video from my wife.
