WILLIAMS — Bearizona Wildlife Drive-Through Park in Williams closed this week due to the heavy winter storm that passed through Williams leaving over 20″ of snow in many areas. This is a rare move for Bearizona, but park Director Sean Casey made the decision for the safety of the staff, animals and customers. The park plans to open by Thursday.

“Bearizona employees are working hard to get the roads and paths cleared by Thursday,” Sean said in an email. “Closing the park is a rare event, but with the sudden snowfall and closed highways it seemed like the right decision.”

Another winter storm is expected Friday, but should leave less than 3-inches which does not usually evoke a closure. In fact, the snow brings Bearizona to life, for the most part. Many of the animals thrive on the weather and move about more making Bearizona a great experience.

Bearizona is currently open 7-days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Their hours change in the summer. In addition to the drive-through, they have a walking area with a petting zoo, dining in the Canyonland restaurant, and shopping to support their mission and their donations to various wildlife causes.

Other businesses in Williams are opening as they dig out from the storm. Most restaurants in the area remained open and the City of Williams has done a good job of clearing the streets of snow although there will be some areas impacted for a while. They should catch up the next two days, however, since we will see the sun for a couple of days. Saturday through the beginning of the week we should see mostly sunny skies making Bearizona a pleasant sight to visit.