Bear Country USA

A dentist named Dennis Casey visited Lion Country USA in California, came home to his 200 acres along US-16 south of Rapid City, and opened Bear Country USA in 1972 with 11 black bears, one wolf, one mountain lion, one elk, and three buffalo. The park now stretches over 250 acres, with a three-mile driving route through enclosures and a walk-through area called Babyland for cubs and smaller animals. Dennis died in 2000; a family dispute followed; the park endured. It's still there, eight miles south of Rapid City.