Smokey Bear Historical Park - Go Wandering (2024)

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New Mexico

This park honors the life of Smokey Bear and provides ample educational opportunities regarding fire safety and prevention.

The Smokey Bear Historical Park was founded in 1976 to honor the life of Smokey Bear, who was severely burned as a young cub from a forest fire that took place in the Capitan Mountains in New Mexico in 1950. Just a few years before this incident, the US already decided to have a bear mascot named Smokey Bear, the one we all know and love, to raise awareness for fire prevention. This cub that was found after the Capitan fire became the living symbol of Smokey the Bear.

Smokey Bear was and continues to be an icon for forest prevention, with his classic tagline “only you can prevent wildfires.” Smokey Bear lived in the National Zoo in Washington D.C. where people would come from all over to see this legend with their own eyes. Smokey passed away in 1976 and he was taken back to Capitan to be laid to rest at his memorial park. The Smokey Bear Historical Park is a place where guests can come to explore the visitor’s center to see the various exhibits and learn all about fire safety and forest health, watch an educational short film about forest fires, and outside they can pay their respects to Smokey at his final resting place.

The Smokey Bear Historical Park is great for families with kids, as the park has Junior and Little Ranger programs that offer them the chance to learn about fire prevention in an interactive and fun way. The park is closed on Mondays and major holidays, but Tuesday through Sunday it is open from 8:30 until 4:30.

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