Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
bench behind floor-to-ceiling windows in the warming hut is an absolutely worthwhile way
to spend an afternoon. The naturalists on staff are excellent at engaging with visitors of all
ages and have plenty to teach everyone. One fantastic opportunity for curious children ages
5-12 is the Keeper Kids program, which is offered twice daily during the summer season.
For roughly 45 minutes, the kids learn about grizzly eating habits and behavior. They get
to then go into the grizzly enclosure, while the bears are locked away obviously, and hide
buckets of food for the bears. When the kids exit and the bears come racing out to search
for their treats—overturning massive logs and boulders in the process—the kids (and their
parents!) are mesmerized. The center has gone to great lengths to share the personal story
of each animal and why it cannot survive in the wild. They also give the bears all sorts of
games and tasks—aiding in the design of bear-proof garbage cans is one example. Since
these bears do not hibernate, this is a stop absolutely worth making any time of the year.
Ultimately, this is a really nice place to learn a lot about bears, wolves, and raptors before
heading into the park to look for them in the wild.
