Description
What is the American bison water bottle?
This is McGovern & Company’s 25 oz insulated water bottle, printed with a multicolored bison silhouette pattern on a white body. Stainless steel, double-walled, powder-coated, and built for daily use. McGovern runs the same body across their full water bottle line (Glacier, Grand Teton, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, and others); this is the bison-pattern edition.
BHPFA stocks it at the Wind Cave National Park visitor center for a reason. Wind Cave protects one of the earliest bison restoration herds in North America. The current herd is 350 to 400 head, descended from 14 bison transferred from the Bronx Zoo in 1913 to a then-empty grassland that had been hunted clear in the 1800s. The bottle is a quiet way to carry that history out the gate.
The bottle keeps water cold for about 20 hours and coffee or tea hot for about 8. The lid is a wide-mouth screw-on with a two-finger carrying loop, and the seal is leakproof under normal use. The exterior is powder-coated, which is why the silhouette print stays sharp and the colors do not chip the way a sticker or a vinyl wrap would.
Specifications
- Capacity: 25 oz
- Dimensions: 3″ diameter x 11″ H
- Weight: 13 oz (empty)
- Material: Stainless steel
- Insulation: Double-walled vacuum, 20 hours cold or 8 hours hot
- Lid: Wide mouth, screw-on, two-finger carrying loop, leakproof
- Finish: Powder-coated, chip-resistant
- Care: Hand-wash only
- Pattern: Multicolored bison silhouettes (red, green, teal, black) on white
- Manufacturer: McGovern & Company (McGovern Outdoor)
Who is this for?
Wind Cave visitors who saw the herd. If you drove the prairie loop, watched bison cross US-385, or stood at the Rankin Ridge overlook and saw a brown smudge in the grass that turned out to be 30 head, this is a memento that does actual work. A 25 oz insulated bottle is the right size for a half-day on the trails and fits in a backpack side pocket.
Road trippers visiting the Black Hills bison parks. Wind Cave NP, Custer State Park, and the National Bison Range up north all have free-roaming herds. The bottle works as a daily carry between stops.
Anyone replacing single-use plastic on a daily commute. 25 oz is a full daily intake for most people. Stainless steel and powder coat hold up to years of use; a hand-wash routine keeps the print intact.
Frequently asked questions
How much water does it hold?
25 ounces, which is about 740 milliliters. Roughly two and a half regular drinking glasses.
Is it insulated?
Yes. Double-walled vacuum insulation. McGovern publishes 20 hours cold and 8 hours hot for the line. Real-world performance varies with starting temperature and how often the lid is opened.
Is it dishwasher safe?
No. Hand-wash only. The combination of powder coat and printed artwork is not engineered for the heat and detergent of a dishwasher cycle.
Will it fit in a cup holder?
Yes for most cars. The base is 3 inches in diameter, which is the standard cup-holder fit. The bottle is 11 inches tall, so it stands above the holder.
What is the lid like?
A wide-mouth screw-on cap with a two-finger carrying loop. Leakproof when sealed. The wide mouth makes it easier to drop in ice cubes or fill from a tap.
What does the artwork look like?
Bison silhouettes in red, green, teal, and black, repeated as a pattern across a white body. McGovern designs the pattern in-house. The bison are stylized rather than realistic, in the studio’s signature style.
How big is the Wind Cave bison herd?
350 to 400 head, descended from 14 founders transferred from the Bronx Zoo in 1913. It is one of the earliest bison restoration herds in North America. Wind Cave is not the largest herd (Yellowstone is around 5,000; Custer State Park is around 1,300), but it is one of the oldest restoration herds in the system.
Is this an Adopt-A-Bison fundraising product?
No. This is a standard retail water bottle and is eligible for the BHPFA member 15% discount. The Adopt-A-Bison plush calf is a separate fundraising product with different rules.
Who makes it?
McGovern & Company, also branded as McGovern Outdoor. Women-led, US-based. They produce water bottles, mugs, blankets, scarves, and other gift items for the national park souvenir market. The full water bottle line uses the same 25 oz double-walled stainless body across every park and pattern edition.
Does buying this support national parks?
BHPFA is the official nonprofit partner of Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, as well as the Black Hills National Forest and Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands. Proceeds from every purchase support education programs, conservation projects, and visitor services at these sites.
Where can I get a Passport stamp at Wind Cave?
At the Wind Cave NP visitor center (26611 US-385, Hot Springs SD 57747). The bottle itself is not a Passport item, but if you are working on the Passport to Your National Parks program, the BHPFA partner sites with stamps are Wind Cave NP, Jewel Cave NM, Scotts Bluff NM, and Agate Fossil Beds NM. National Forest visitor centers do not have Passport stamps; the program is NPS only.
