Bearizona: A Review of the Must-See Wildlife Park in Williams, AZ

The Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, AZ is a must-see attraction that will be fun for your whole family!

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This post is sponsored by Bearizona. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When planning our family trip to the Flagstaff/Grand Canyon area of Arizona, multiple people recommended Bearizona to us. I think that fact alone is proof that it’s a must-visit. Another reason why Bearizona is a good attraction for our family is because of the large age range of our kids. I have kids from preschool up through teen and finding activities we can all enjoy can be challenging.

Additionally, knowing that our family likes exploring zoos and aquariums, but having never been to a drive-thru wildlife park, I knew this would provide a memorable experience. (You can read more about our family’s experience and each of our kids’ favorite parts of Bearizona at the bottom.)

If you are planning an upcoming trip to Arizona, especially Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon area, then you will want to keep reading. I have organized this post to include helpful information about Bearizona Wildlife Park, as well as some FAQs to make your visit even more enjoyable.

About Bearizona

Located on about 160 acres of Ponderosa Pine forest in Williams, AZ, Bearizona Wildlife Park is a privately owned animal conservation and educational wildlife park. They have two different areas where you can see a variety of animals: drive-thru and walk-thru. According to their website, their mission is “to promote conservation and preservation through memorable and educational encounters with North American Wildlife in a natural environment.” (source)

Bearizona Wildlife Park Information

Tickets

The price of admission includes both the self-guided drive-thru, the walk-thru, a barnyard (open seasonally) and various animal shows. Parking is included in your admission.

Bearizona Ticket Pricing (as of 4/21/2026)

You can purchase your tickets online or at the drive-thru entrance to the park. You are charged per person, rather than per vehicle. This is because of the two-part experience of Bearizona: the drive-thru portion and the walk-thru portion.

• Weekday (Mon-Fri)
  • Adult (13-61) $30
  • Child (4-12) $20
  • Senior (62+) $27
  • 3 and under are FREE
• Weekend (Sat-Sun)
  • Adult (13-61) $35
  • Child (4-12) $25
  • Senior (62+) $32
  • 3 and under are FREE

Address

1500 E. Route 66, Williams, AZ 86046

Hours

Open 7 days a week from 9am-5:30pm, except June and July when the hours change to 8am-7:30pm. However, the last cars will be admitted an hour and a half before closing and can stay until the park closes at 5:30 (or 7:30 in June/July). Holidays may affect hours of operation so if you are planning on visiting on a holiday, check their website or call for the most accurate information. They are closed on Christmas Day.

Parking

Parking is included in your admission. The parking lot is located at the end of the drive-thru portion of the park. From here, you can go inside the walk-thru park known as Fort Bearizona.

Stroller Friendly

Yes, Fort Bearizona is very stroller-friendly. All walking paths are paved. *See more details about possible exceptions in the wheelchair section below.

Wheelchair Friendly

Yes, Fort Bearizona is wheelchair-friendly. Most of the attractions are on level ground, with the exception of the otter exhibit, which has a wheelchair ramp. The reptile exhibit is in a semi-dark building with a more narrow walkway that might not accommodate a wheelchair.

Pet Friendly

According to their website, these are the rules about pets at Bearizona (source):

• Visitors can travel through the drive-thru portion of our park with domestic pets enclosed in their vehicles with the windows up.
• In the walk-thru area, leashed domestic pets and service animals can be walked in the parking lot, but may not enter the walk-thru portion of the park.

Bathrooms

There are no bathrooms available in the drive-thru area of the park. However, there are bathrooms available throughout Fort Bearizona.

FAQs About the Bearizona Wildlife Park

Can I go through the drive-thru part of the park more than once?

Yes, you can drive through as many times as you want before exiting the park. I think the ability to go though the drive-thru portion of Bearizona both at the beginning and as many times as you want is such a great way to take advantage of your admission fee.

What are the roads like in the drive-thru area, and are there any vehicle restrictions?

You are going to love the 3-mile drive through a huge Ponderosa Pine forest, which is all on a well-maintained gravel roads. Keep in mind that because the roads are not paved, wet weather can make them muddy. The parking lot at Fort Bearizona is paved.

According to the official Bearizona website: “Most vehicles can drive through Bearizona’s well-maintained gravel roads. Each vehicle must be completely enclosed and have operational windows. No motorcycles, ATV/all-terrain, or open-top jeeps or convertibles.” (source)

What animals will I see when visiting Bearizona Wildlife Park?

The drive-thru area is home to 13 different species, including mountain goats, bears, reindeer, wolves and bison.

The walk-thru area includes 20+ different species of mammals and reptiles, such as, panthers, birds of prey, porcupine, grizzly bears, otters, jaguars.

You can check out the map on the app, or on their website to see a more complete list.

Can I bring outside food and drink?

Yes, you can bring your own food and drinks into Fort Bearizona to enjoy. There are picnic tables in the main area surrounding Central Park (which is also where they do the Keeper Chats). Additionally, there are tables behind the gift shop and benches throughout.

*PRO TIP* We love our backpack cooler because it holds our food and drinks but keeps our hands free. We have this one, but there are a lot of great options available depending on your needs.

What are my options for food and drink inside Fort Bearizona?

If you do not want to bring your own food or drink, Bearizona offers some options for both. You can view the menus for all places shown below by clicking HERE.

• Canyonlands Restaurant – A 6,000-square-foot themed restaurant serving drinks, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads and dessert, as well as a kids menu.
  • We opted to eat here and the food was very good. All the portions were decently sized and served quickly.
  • If they have the potato leek soup when you go, it’s delicious! They let us try a small sample to see if we liked it before ordering it.
  • I ordered the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad and it was filling and very good.
• Bearizona Grille – Features stadium-style favorites, such as hot dogs/corn dogs, chicken strips, wraps, sandwiches, fries, nachos, drinks and treats. No kids menu.
• Seasonal Food Carts – Coyote Coffee, Red Barn Creamery, The Watering Hole

What type of shows does Bearizona offer?

The shows rotate and vary a bit depending on the day and time of year. You can see a current schedule HERE. All shows are included with the price of admission.

• Bearizona Wild Show (BZ Wild)
  • Time: 11:30am and 2:30pm
  • Location: Central Park
  • Length: 15-20 minutes
  • Showcases different animal ambassadors with their trainers/caretakers. Weather permitting. Sometimes they ask for volunteers.
• Keeper Chats & Animal Encounters
  • Time: varies
  • Location: throughout the park
  • You could see a vulture flying overhead or a keeper with a small reptile answering questions. Not on a set schedule.
• Other possible shows/experiences
  • Otter Feeding
  • Black Bear Chat
  • Grizzly Chat

Is there an app?

Yes, Bearizona has a free app for iOS and Android you can download through your app store. It has a map, show times and you may also qualify for a discount at the Canyonlands Restaurant.

Can I exit the park and come back in on the same day?

No. Once you leave the park, you cannot come back in without paying another admission fee. As mentioned above, you can go through the drive-thru portion of Bearizona as many times as you’d like, as well as the walk-thru area of Fort Bearizona.

How long does it take to go through the park?

According to their website, you should plan 2-3 hours for your Bearizona experience. Many people stay longer, especially if they plan on visiting the drive-thru area more than once. We stayed for about 3 hours.

What is the best time of year to visit Bearizona?

Bearizona is open year-round, which means you’ll have different experiences at different times of year. Our family went in April and it was sunny but a little windy and in the mid-50s.

What is the best time of day to visit Bearizona?

Typically, the animals tend to be more active early in the morning and late in the afternoon in the summer months. In the cooler months, they are active most of the day. Checking the local weather report for Williams, AZ may help you make a decision on what time of day you want to visit.

Tips for a Great Experience at Bearizona Wildlife Park

Scan the QR code at the entrance booth. You can listen to interesting facts about each of the animals as you drive through their enclosures. You can pause them if needed.

Make a pressed penny. We love collecting pressed pennies from the places we visit. Many animal conservation locations have them, including Bearizona. We did a couple of pennies at the machine near the bathrooms by Bearizona Grille and a couple in the indoor area between the otters and the gift shop. (I highly recommend grabbing a pressed penny album to help keep track of your pressed coins.)

Eat outside at the tables behind the gift shop. There are tables on the ground level as well as the upper level. It is shaded and near the panther enclosure which means you may be able to see them as you enjoy your meal.

Bring binoculars. Some of the animals in the drive-thru area were close enough that we could see them easily. Others were more hidden, like the bears, so having binoculars with us was helpful. Because we could drive leisurely, there was time for our kids to take turns using them (without too much fuss). We also used them inside Fort Bearizona.

Our Experience at Bearizona Wildlife Park

Overall, I would absolutely recommend making the Bearizona Wildlife Park part of your visit to the Flagstaff/Grand Canyon area. It is easily accessible off of I-40 and would make a great stopping place to get out and stretch your legs before continuing your trip. Our visit was during a less busy time of year, so I can’t speak to how crowded it gets in the summer. But I feel like there was an overall feeling of unhurried-ness that made our visit really enjoyable.

The habitats in both areas of the park were beautiful. Even when we were in Fort Bearizona, there are many tall trees and other plants surrounding it. It felt more like walking through the forest, rather than a zoo-type setting.

During the BZ Wild show we watched, I was lucky enough to be chosen (along with a few other adults) to help with one of the animal demonstrations. This was my first time doing something like that and it was so much fun!

I asked my kids what each of them liked about our visit to Bearizona Wildlife Park and this is what they said:

• 14 year old – “My favorite animal to watch were the otters! They were so cute and funny. I also really liked that we could drive through and see some different animals from our car that we normally wouldn’t be able to see so close.”
• 12 year old – “It was so cool when we got to hear the wolves howling! I also really liked the animal show and thought it was cool because my mom got to be one of the volunteers. I would love to go back again one day.”
• 8 year old – “My favorite part of Bearizona was when we ate lunch by the panthers. I also liked the animal show (BZ Wild) because I got to see animals I’ve never seen before and they were funny.”
• 5 year old – “I liked walking around (Fort Bearizona) and seeing the foxes. They were so cute!”

Looking for more wildlife themed activities to do in the Flagstaff area? Check out the Grand Canyon Deer Farm! It’s about 5 minutes away from Bearizona and great for getting out and stretching your legs while feeding deer.

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