Oswald’s Bear Ranch — Attraction in McMillan Township

Oswalds Bear Ranch, it's one of my favorite places to visit when in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. I just love to go visit the bears at this rescue sanctuary. The ranch is well maintained, and I have witnessed this family treating all these bears with love and kindness. They also are so friendly to all of us who come to visit.

Oswalds Bear Ranch is situated in a hilly area with lots of forest. There are over 40 bears that are separated according to their gender and age in their different habitats that are designed for each group and are quite large and accommodating to the bears normal surroundings.

The rescued cubs are brought to the ranch so they can survive after either their mother may have died or may have abandoned them, and these babies can't fend for themselves. It's such a joy to watch them play and interact with each other. You can even buy apples to feed them a snack and watch them enjoy it.

I go back every year or so to see their progress as they grow. I love to see them play in the trees or their pond swimming. They are such beautiful creatures, and I love to photograph them. It's hard to leave when I'm there because I have such a wonderful experience.

The ranch also has a huge souvenir store with plenty of merchandise, all geared towards the bears. From t-shirts, sweatshirts, shorts and pants, bear sculptures, nic nacs, blankets, stickers, and so much more. The prices are reasonable too. They take cash or check and now take a debit card, too! They also have a bear club that welcomes donations to help raise these bears and with the up-keep and care for them.

The ranch is easy to find, and there are signs along the way. Parking is ample and very accommodating for some of us who travel with pets. Pets are not allowed as they could disrupt the sanctuary of the bears. So they offer some very shaded spots to keep our pets cool and comfortable.

They now also offer a museum with bear facts and exhibits to explore. The ranch is kept very tidy, and the staff is well trained to make sure everyone is following the guidelines to make it a good experience for not just all of us but for the bears as well.

I have nothing negative to say about this establishment, and they are doing great job protecting these beautiful animals, and I commend them for it. Oswalds Bear Ranch proudly has a 100% report card of excellence with the USDA inspectors.

So when visiting the U.P. of Michigan, go visit the bears! You won't be disappointed in fact you will be pleasantly surprised. Don't forget to get your photo taken with a cub! Posing while petting the adorable cub on the head and feeding it some honey makes a...

We traveled from, Illinois to Oswald's to see the Bears. This is our 4th time seeing bear Cubs together in our 10 years of marriage.. We heard Peta was giving Oswald's trouble and wanted to be part of the solution and help to stop the lies. We found all the bears healthy-looking and with beautiful coats. The babies were as playful as they could be and we met Jake up close and Cub Jake was so sweet as to share his spoon with me, leaving a perfect bear paw shaped print on my shirt as he used my tummy to stand even taller in our photo. It made my day This baby bear was trying to stand tall for a photo opportunity. All the females were so smart. One would sit pretty and they all started to sit pretty for their apple treat. They never growled or tried to steal each other's apples. It was impressive how they shared. The females showed they were hand-raised and understood that if they posed for a photo or paced the fence they'd get an apple. The Males were huge! The fur was so silky looking and one looked like he was enjoying the waterfall in their territory. I don't see how anyone could visit and see anything other than a family dedicated to loving these amazing animals! As we walked around we saw several family members working and Mr Oswald was sitting near the females enjoying the Bears climbing trees. Everyone was friendly and at the gift shop, the prices were outstanding! I was shocked at how reasonable their jackets and sweatshirts were. We bought more than we expected because the prices were within our range to get a few extra gifts for the kiddos at home. This was an excellent stop on our couples getaway. Please don't listen to Peta and check out Oswald's for yourself. We loved it and if you don't agree, you must not love bears too. Thank you Oswald's family for this great opportunity. The only thing better would be a private cub feeding with bottles. Ever since Bear County USA stopped their bear cub feedings we have been having cub withdrawal. This stop gave us a recharge until our next bear...

This was my first time visiting the Bear Ranch and I wasn't sure what to expect. I heard decent reviews of the place but my overall concern was where the bears come from and how they're treated (as with other places with animals on display.)

The layout of the ranch is pretty large and the 40 bears have a fair amount of room to roam. The habitats sit on a nice 240 acre property. I also saw at least two other areas being fenced off for future use. The bears were playing and scampering around most of the time and a few are resting. Cubs, yearlings, females, and males are all kept separate.

When apples are tossed to them some would sit up on their haunches and beg or come right up to the fence, which shows they are used to folks feeding them. Not totally a bad thing or unexpected since they are in captivity, but for me and a number of folks I overheard standing by, it did feel weird.

Eventually I found what I was looking for: a sign and notice detailing where acquire the bears (from DNR, State, and Federal breeders and rescue). That made me feel that much better about the ranch. The family has been running the ranch for quite a while and seems to take pride in their operation.

It's also a decent value: a carload of visitors is $25 (if you come above, it's $15).

On some fences they have bear facts posted with some trivia.

Overall, I did enjoy coming and I'm glad I got to see the place before making a judgment. I knocked one "star" for not having more educational information on the bears and conservation featured. For the entertainment, uniqueness and "whoa" factord, this is a...