Such a special place for these rescue bears. Stop and spend some time. They each have their own unique personalities.

Was a really good time with the family, only saw one bear which was Maggie but she was cute. Gift shop is very reasonable and bought a few things. Over all a fun experience and the gentleman who was explaining everything was very knowledgeable. Must see to support the local wildlife as everything you buy goes to feed and take care of the bears.

This was a great touristy stop while on a road trip. The speakers were very informative and we learned a lot about grizzly bear behavior. The bears were rescued and had nowhere else to go otherwise. Not able to survive in the wild, the likely alternative is that they would be put down. As it is, they seem well cared for!Would highly recommend stopping if you’re interested in learning more about bears. We spend about 60-90 minutes there and felt comfortable with that but you could easily find reasons to stay longer.

I loved this place. Recommend for families and all ages of visitors. A wonderful experience visiting Bella the Grizzly and the staff that works here are wonderful and full of knowledge. Everyone is respectful with wearing a mask too.

Love this facility. The entire staff are great. Very friendly and knowledgeable. The bears are beautiful, happy, healthy and quite the stars! Cant forget the goats...very friendly. Merchandise very reasonable and helps keeps this great facility open!

Visited the Grizzly Encounter for my moms birthday and was not disappointed. Max the bear was adorable and our guide was very knowledgeable.

The lady was very knowledgeable and lots of information on the bears, we got to see Max while we where there. So stinking cute.

Well priced. Close to bear, one at a time but the pass is good all day so you can come and go to see them all. Cute gift shop.

Amazing is all I can say. All proceeds from the gift shop go to feeding and caring for the bears. My little sister loved it.

I wasnt a fan, the employees seemed great, the kids enjoyed it.They keep one bear out at a time, and there is not much too do to occupy the time.For some people they will enjoy it, like my wife and kids did.I just personally did not care for it.Id give it two stars but because my family enjoyed the 30 minutes or so that we were there Ill give it three.

The staff weren’t nice at all. My family and I felt like we were in the way when asking questions about the Bear. If you don’t like your job, then quit. Your job is to put on a smile and be nice to those who PAY to see and KNOW about the Bears.Also, I’d like to mention that this was more of a zoo and less of a rescue, like another person mentioned in the reviews. The one bear we saw was in a relatively SMALL enclosure. I was informed by the male uninformative informer who worked there, that Brutus the bear had lived there since he was 2 weeks old. And Brutus is 18 years old now... Are you serious!? There’s not even enough room for the bears to chase each other at a good speed while running! The space wasn’t even flat enough to run on. It was mostly uphill and full of rocks... The Bear’s play pond was ridiculously small! When we left, my family and I all agreed that we pitied the Bears who live there... What a sad and lonely life it must be... The bear we saw looked very bored and lonely. I myself would go insane if I had to live in such a space. I’m appalled that no one has improved the space in the Bear’s enclosure already!? If I see no improvements within a year, then I’m calling the AHS.We loved meeting Brutus, but definitely could’ve went without the rude attitudes from the staff. Won’t be visiting again.

Definitely worth the stop if you want to see a Grizzly up close and learn all youd ever want to know about them! Tinley good for two days if you want to come back!! Gift shop was great with great merchandise at wonderful prices!! Staff was friendly and the BEST!!!

Great stop for families and anyone who loves wildlife. This organization is providing a great life for these beauties that cant be released into the wild.

Lovely place! We saw Max! He is a doll! Looks like a nice home for him! Great sanctuary and cause! Purchased a couple of gift shop items to further support the sanctuary! We highly recommend a visit!

What an incredible experience. It touches my heart that there are places like this that rescue grizzlies. The ticket costs $8 and gives you access for 2 days. We had the pleasure of seeing Max, the youngest bear play and frolic. Cant wait to go back and see how big he gets.

It wasnt really an encounter. We payed, walked in and looked. The whole encounter took about 5 minutes. The bear was beautiful though

Really cool place to go and see the bears up close. The bears are beautiful and Bella (the bear we saw) was very active so the experience was very fun. I would recommend getting some shirts from the gift shops to help support the place too. Will come back later In the season, kids loved it

Fun, brief experience with some very knowledge and passionate people. Admission is very reasonable, and it all goes to maintaining the sanctuary. Absolutely worth the visit!

Fun! I thought we would see all 5 bears but only saw 2. They dont let the bears out at the same time because they dont all get along. Im glad we showed up when we did to watch the bears being changed out once.

I would not recommend going here. I am more than happy to help out a good cause but this is just a roadside makeshift zoo.The tour guide wasnt very informative. I learned the bears name and how tall he was and that was it.For the amount of money they receive daily from tourists, the bears should be living in better living conditions.They had one bear to view but the others were put away. Where? Shouldnt they have homes of their own if they dont get along? I can only assume they are in a smaller space than what we just saw.You can do better than this Grizzly Encounters. Use your money wisely to give these bears a better life. I dont know how you consider this a rescue.If you want me to believe they bears are put in a comfortable area while they are not on the stage, post pictures and prove it.

It was awesome to see these bears up close! Fun and educational for a family.

Excellent place to visit. This is our 2nd time. We always learn something new and get to see bears too!

We got to see 1 on the 5 bears Bella, she was entertaining as she didnt sit for too long and played in the water. Its worth it to see if youve never been. The tour guide was very informative about the behavior of bares in the wild.

Went to see Brutus and was so appalled by the lack of up keep. The place looked like what it is, a run down roadside attraction. Brutus along with other bears share an enclosure that is less than a half acre. Their swimming pond water was green with algae and when the bear came out it was like, I have to do this again. There was no treats for them or toys for them. They came out very routine walked around and went back to the door to their housing.There was a young man repeating the same bit over and over. It was a horrible experience for me I would never go back or recommend this to anyone. And I cant believe that Casey Anderson became famous and has made a lot of money off this bear and then tossed it in this environment. Casey can afford a larger piece of land for the bear that made him.

Brutas reminds me of my dog. Big old grizzly. Enjoyed the visit.

Love this place, the kind staff, and the bears seem happy and healthy. We always wish we see Casey Anderson when we go, but usually we just miss him by a few days. Saw Bella today and had hoped to see Brutus, but maybe next time.

This was actually really fun. Theres not a whole lot to do besides watching a bear (they have a few goats), but they have knowledgeable staff and it was fun to be so close to a grizzly. They said the ticket is good for two days as well.

*** do not support this place, this is not a sanctuary, it is a small outdoor cage. Bears do not belong locked up. When we visited we asked before entering and they said the bears were free to roam, that we will be sightseeing them in their natural habitat.

Enjoyed the experience. All employees were friendly and knowledgeable.

We saw max the two year old. Hoping to see other bears but there was no schedule of when they would be out for for viewing. Staff was friendly.

Max was busy busy boy. The people gave great information. They allowed us to bring in our dogs and gave them a dog treat. Please consider helping them save the bears!

Very cool place.

Very cool experience close proximity to bears

Visited today as being here on hols from Belgium. We heard a lot of other persons who had already visited so we knew exactly what to expect : there would only be one bear out at the time. When we got there we saw Brutus, the 17y old stunning grizzly who was rescued when he was a mere 2 weeks old! What a gorgeous looking big lad ️I love the work the owners are doing by rescueing bears and looking after them very well. However, wouldve thought the enclosure would be bigger...Also love the educational side of it all : think its very important to inform kids and adults about bears & their behaviour. Or how to react when encountering one.All in all spent about 2 hours there just observing Brutus and taking a zillion of pictures and videos.Glad that I visited!Keep up the good work guys

Awesome to see Grizzlies up close! Very informational! Bella is very playful and alert, you can tell she is happy and well cared for

Great experience! Got scarey close and the announcer was great!

My family and I liked it here!

Staff was very friendly and so were the bears. Max was a complete sweetheart and the gift shop was cozy and wholesome.

Stopped by 3/16/19 around midday got to see Bella bear which was very playful and enjoying her elk bones and hide. I had a good time.. the lady that was our guide was very informative about what to do in any bear confrontation and how to camp.

Loved seeing the bears up close. They are all happy. Bella is very active and playful. This team has done a great thing building this education center for humans and a rescue for these bears.

The name is not an accurate description of this place. Supposedly, they have 5 bears in refuge. We were there for over an hour, and were only able to see one bear for a total of 5 minutes.

Okay. So this place is so cool. The staff is friendly and helpful, and incredibly knowledgable. The bears are awesome and you are pretty close to them. We saw Bella and Brutus, and even though it was cold and snowing, it was a great experience. They clearly love their bears. If you have any interest in bears you should go support them.

Great visit with Max and Brutus.

It was fasinating to see these majestic animals up close!

Drove an hour to get here because their website says theyre open (I am here during the current temp hours) just to find out theyre closed due to the forest fire somewhere in the region. Wish they had put a notice on their website

Really great little hidden gem close to Bozeman. The staff there are very knowledgeable and I believe that they have a presenter constantly talking in front of the bears so that if you want to learn, they are there to answer questions and also just talk in the background so you can view and listen. Pretty neat! Wheelchair accessible, and very kid friendly! Thanks!

Small park but friendly and knowledgeable staff. Very clean enclosures and animals are well cared for. Moderately priced (usually places like this are very expensive). Easy to access (right off the interstate). Beautiful setting. Worth the stop.

It was awesome visit just loved it loved seeing the bears i had to have a shirt pillow knife hat key chain i will visit again

This small but wonderful place shows Grizzly bears in their natural habitat. I visited Jake and Maggi. Jake was happy to pose for photos. The guide was very informative and helpful. I enjoyed my visit and education. Bears are treated very well in a natural setting. Recommend this place for people of all ages. I visited on May 10, 2017.

Knowledgeable and friendly staff! Only one bear is out per day, but your permit lasts for 2 days. Even if you’re not interested in bears, you should visit this place.

2nd visit !!! Outstanding,as was my first visit 3 years ago !!!

We went based on good reviews and were rather disappointed. None of the bears “wanted to come out” except max, the cub. I thought we would see more.Popped by later in the day and it was still just max out of his cage.He was cute though.

So a lot of people see this as abuse and they need more room. I could say sure they could use another enclosure, but the bears look happy. They came from people that kept them in smaller enclosures and found abandoned by their mother.People say why don’t you release them well. Ya they could but it would take a lot of effort trying to get them not used to people. They would have to haze them really harsh to make sure of that. (Then you get people that say oh that’s yo harsh and mean....never win) Also, if they try to release them they will probably end up in another grizzlies territory and he/she could be bigger and end up killing the released grizzly.These guy are happy, safe, and have everything they need. When you don’t see them they are in their den which on the wild they could have smaller dens and they like their sleep.I think they are happy and enjoy what they know. You can disagree of course. Everyone has an opinion.

Exit 319 east of Bozeman, MT is where I found it. Maggie came out for awhile, then Brutus. Brutus took to searching for hidden bits of food and then entered the pond for a soak.

Great experience learning more about grizzlies, bear safety, and experiencing Bella’s personality up close!

Unfortunately was not told at booth there was only “one bear at a time”. Totally understand bears may not be compatible together...BUT at least CLEARLY state that. All I was told at welcome center is there isn’t multiple cubs because that would be unethical...then went back to booth and was just charged entry fee. Literally was there for 5 minutes...

Great photo ops but a little disappointed that we only saw 1 bear.

Unfortunately, I would not recommend this. They only have one bear outside at a time. And this is only IF the bear wants to come out. Otherwise the bears are inside their enclosures where you cannot see them. Spent $30 and saw no bears. They do not tell you at the gate that you pay money and may not see a bear. The Gift shop is an unheated, Uninsulated shed. I feel bad for the workers who have to be in there all day in the winter. I will not return. The bear/wolf exhibit in West Yellowstone is 1000 times better.

One of the coolest places I’ve ever been. The guides are extremely knowledgeable and friendly. I loved being able to observe a grizzly in such an intimate environment. Would definitely go back!

Great info and viewing.

Bella was super cute playing fetch

Amazing place. These bears have been rescued from all across the country and are brought here to be take of for the rest of their lives. We saw Bella, the youngest bear and she was amazing to watch. She roamed around the enclosure and found a water mellon, which she proceeded to rip open and eat. She seemed to be happy and is definitely better fo then before she was rescued.

Definitely worth the time to stop in and see a grizzly up close and learn more about them!The staff was so very friendly, EXCEPTIONALLY knowledgeable, and the bears were clearly well taken care of and loved!The staff provided details about each bear, their individual personalities and even their likes and dislikes.The staff gave great information on bear safety and made it interesting for our kids!

We drove about an hour to stop by to see the bears. Understanding that the fee we pay goes toward helping the bears be cared for. We did not know that it is only one bear out at a time. The bear that is out decides when he or she is done being outside. So when the current bear goes back to his home they let out another. We did get to see the oldest bear for about 10 minutes before he decided to go behind a log and you could only see his head. The staff informed us they tried to get him out but was looking like he was making his way home. Would take about 20 minutes for him to be locked in and another bear let out. There is goats to pet and feed if waiting. I would suggest two pens to have two bears out at a time so you will definitely get to see them out. The kids had more fun feeding the goats.

Knowledgeable staff, friendly, and peaceful.A must stop location and educational!

We had a lovely time and learned a lot about grizzlies. Day 1 of our visit Brutus was out and had no interest in anything but a long nap in the sunshine. So we came back another day, pass is good for two days, and Bella was out strutting her stuff. Seems like a good thing they are doing here. Happy to support. Note, only one grizzly is out at a time and they may not be doing anything. From what we learned Brutus rules the roost! To learn more, visit!

Wonderful definitely worth the money.

Great place friendly staff

An amazing experience not to be missed !

Really nice seeing the grizzlies in this park, and they were all rescued. The staff was very knowledgeable as well

My 10 year old has been wanting to come meet Brutus since he was 2 years old watching Casey and Brutus on NatGeo. He was not disappointed, Brutus was one of the 2 bears on exhibit today. Incredibly friendly staff who clearly have a passion for bear conservation. Price was very reasonable and the gift shop was not overpriced. Would absolutely return.

Excellent a must go too

Loved it !

Very informational and interesting

This place was pretty awesome! The staff was extremely knowledgeable and taught us information, us adults didnt even know. We did only see the one grizzly, Bella, but she was amazing.

This was a very worthwhile to spend an afternoon. The owner/ trainer/guide was wonderful and very passionate about the bears. Very informative. Dont go expecting to see a bear performance. Do expect to learn about the bears.We saw Bella and she was awesome to watch just enjoying herself. Running, climbing and playing. Time well spent.

Staff was very nice and interesting and informative. The bears were super interesting and playful. Highly recommend

Its a great way to see the bears, they are super intelligent they know there own names its cute to see them play its nice they should swicth the bears more.

The best thing about this place is getting to see a grizzly up close. They have 4 grizzlies. Only one, Bella, was out when we were there. The enclosure is WAY too small for one bear, let alone 4. You couldnt see where the other three were, but I imagine they were crammed together in the cement room which didnt have any windows. I love that they are rescuing the bears, but PLEASE move them somewhere where theres enough space for them to roam. Its borderline abuse to keep them in this environment, and at $8 a person admission, I highly doubt that all money goes to the bears.My comments to owners response:I wasnt suggesting that your facility should comprise miles and miles. You state that you are in bear country you dont want to encroach on wild bear habitat by making your facility bigger. Theoretically you could expand for miles parallel to I-90 and not affect wild bear habitat because nobody needs wild bears roaming near the interstate.According to public record, your facility is on 3 acres. On those 3 acres are a parking lot, 2 gift shops, a viewing area, and a large goat pen. That leaves approximately 1 acre for 4 grizzly bears to live on. I have seen bigger enclosures at zoos. It would be the equivalent of a jail cell for you and me. Yes, we could live in a jail cell as long as we were provided food, but would we want to? Call me ignorant, but I doubt that the bears are happy living in these conditions either.

We are so glad we stopped in! It’s very informative and Bella playing in the water today was an added treat! Thank you!

While visiting the refuge today we saw 2 of the bears, We enjoyed learning about each bear and interesting facts about how they are cared for, Their life “now “ is much better than they experienced before

This place was really cool. I liked the little gift shop and was happy to support a rescue. We went on a cool day, so the two bears that were out were active. There is a lot of information for people who dont know much about bears or bear safety. All around, its a nice quick stop for a road trip!

Ummmm...yeah...weak weak weak. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. TPT central.

We had a GREAT experience. I read some reviews of people spending 2 hours taking pictures and I thought to myself that they must be crazy. We were there for close to an hour and a half watching Bella and talking to the staff. We learned alot about bears and other wild life in Montana. I love that this is a sanctuary that only accepts bears that wouldnt survive in the wild. Furthermore, the admission fee directly funds the cost assocoiated with the sanctuary. If you are driving by or see the signs as you drive past, I highly recommend!

Disappointed in only seeing 1 grizzly. Guide was very informative and staff was friendly. Unless you have a day to waste, its not worth it. I am thankful there are caring people who would take care of them. Send them you donations and help save the bears!

This place was great I would highly recommend it! The staff are extremely friendly and educated my family learned a lot here! Prices are great and bella bear was adorable I cannot say enough about this wonder place!

Cool, little spot to see some grizzly bears up close! I spent about 45 minutes here and it was nice to support a local organization. The bears are really awesome!

It was great

It’s nothing special, very disappointed. Just one near in a large concrete enclosure. Not worth stopping for

Amy and Bill the owners were so personable and knowledgeable. I had such a wonderful experience here. learned a ton about bears that I didnt previously know even though I have been to the West Yellowstone bear encounter several times. Bill made me laugh several times while also sharing so much knowledge that he has collected over many years from having so much compassion for animals.I want to thank them and honor them for their genuine and honorable care for helping these bears.Thank you to Amy, Bill, all the volunteers, interns and donors. You guys are awesome.

Absolutely loved this place! Staff was very friendly, funny, and informative. It’s great that they’ve rescued all of their bears. You can tell that the owners put everything they have into this. Can’t wait to come here again.

Amazing sanctuary! Thank you all for rescuing these majestic, intelligent, and misunderstood animals! Can’t wait to bring some meat by for these beauties.

Great experience visiting the Grizzly encounter. We went in 2016 on our way to Glacier. Bella and Brutus are the two main Grizzlys and they definitely put on a show. Staff are very knowledgeable and provide a detailed talk about the bears and how they came to the encounter. This is not a zoo, but an educational experience and without the encounter caring for these animals they would have surely been killed.

Some of the nicest people around and very informative. We only spent a short time here but we are so happy with our experience. And Bella was a cutie :)

Small facility, but worth the trip and admission. The member of staff that spoke was educated and engaged. We watched Brutus swim and enjoy some treats. Dont expect to see all thier bears with one visit. They let the bears choose if they want to be out or in so it is completely on thier schedule. Admission includes 2 days for that reason. All proceeds go to supporting the bears. Worth every penny.

Seeing bears in zoos has always been tough. They are lethargic and often not visible at all. Sometimes they neurotically pace back and forth. My many experiences in zoos left me ill-prepared for this experience.This past Sunday AM we sat and watched Bella (4 y.o. female) run and jump around for over an hour. She tossed sticks in the air, threw logs, and was all around curious and energetic. She acted just like our puppies do...but on a much, much larger scale. The bears are obviously happy and well taken cared of.The education was VERY good and well worth the very reasonable entrance fee.

This was one of my favorite places to visit when I was in montana. I visited a few times actually. This grizzly sanctuary is definitely worth a visit. Dont expect a ton. Its a very small place, a very tiny gift shop, and one place to see the bears where they can only have a few out at a time for the safety of the animals. That being said. The staff care so much about the bears and you can get a safe close up look at the beautiful bears. Normally there are wires and things blocking the view and its hard to get a nice picture. That is really not a problem here. I would recommend coming if you love animals. But if you get bored just enjoying animals doing their own thing I wouldnt come here.

This place is awesome. The tour guide is extremely informative about the grizzley and you will learn a lot. I assume the costs to maintain these bears are extremely expensive. The entry fee was $8 per person for us. We we were told the entry fee is for two days. Also, dogs are welcome as long as they behave. I say support the sanctuary.

Dear Dexter Osborn,Im writing today to ask that you release the bears in your show to a reputable sanctuary.In the wild, bears avoid humans and spend their days digging, climbing, running, and swimming in vast home ranges that can be hundreds of square miles in size. They are social, curious animals and display sophisticated problem-solving abilities. But when theyre used in traveling acts such as A Grizzly Experience, they are denied everything thats natural and important to them and often exhibit signs of stress and depression. When theyre carted around the country in travel trailers, these stress-inducing conditions are compounded.Forcing wild animals to perform is no longer the way to draw a crowd. In fact, venues and fairs across the country—such as the North Carolina Black Bear Festival—are prohibiting these acts, and animal-abusing shows such as The Great Bear Show are shutting down.Please, release these animals to reputable sanctuaries immediately.

We visited the Grizzly Bear reserve and had a very education and wonderful experience. The Bears were a joy to watch in their natural environment,our guide was interesting and well informed and eager to answer any questions. I would recommend this highly. We were so glad we added it to our Montana experience