Description

What is the Bison Plush Backpack?

It’s a stuffed bison with a zippered pouch and backpack straps. Kids wear it like a regular backpack, but it looks like a plush bison riding on their back. The pouch is 8 1/2 inches deep, with room for snacks, a small water bottle, sunscreen, and a junior ranger activity booklet.

Made by Impact Photographics, this is part of a line of animal plush backpacks sold at national park visitor center stores across the country. The bison version is the natural choice at our Wind Cave National Park store, where a free-roaming herd of about 350 to 400 bison grazes the mixed-grass prairie just outside the visitor center.

What’s included

• Soft plush bison body
• Zip-close storage pouch (8 1/2″ deep)
• Two adjustable woven nylon shoulder straps

The backpack is one piece. The bison body is the bag itself, with the zipper running along the back. Straps attach at the top and bottom so the bison faces outward when worn.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 19″ x 13″ x 6 1/2″
• Weight: 6.6 oz
• Pouch depth: 8 1/2″
• Materials: Soft plush body, woven nylon straps
• Closure: Zipper
• Care: Hand wash only
• Age rating: Ages 3 and up
• Manufacturer: Impact Photographics

Who is this for?

Kids visiting Wind Cave National Park. Gives them their own bag to carry on the trail, which means fewer “can you hold this?” requests from the back seat of the car. The size works well for ages 3 and up. At 6.6 ounces empty, even toddlers can wear it without getting weighed down.

Gift buyers. Generic stuffed bisons sit on shelves. A plush backpack gets used, because it’s a toy AND a bag a kid actually wants to wear. At $19.99 it’s a solid visitor-center gift that holds up beyond the car ride home.

Bison fans of any age. The American bison is the national mammal of the United States, designated in 2016. Wind Cave’s herd is one of the country’s earliest restoration herds and one of the genetically cleanest. If someone in your life lights up at a bison sighting on the park road, this is their backpack.

Bison at Wind Cave National Park

Wind Cave’s bison herd is one of the earliest bison restoration efforts in North America. It started in 1913 with 14 animals transferred from the New York Zoological Society (now the Bronx Zoo), with six more arriving from Yellowstone in 1916. Today the park manages roughly 350 to 400 bison across 33,847 acres of mixed-grass prairie above the cave.

A 2006 study tested tissue samples from 11 Department of Interior bison herds and found cattle gene introgression in 7 of them. Wind Cave and Yellowstone were clean. That makes Wind Cave bison genetically valuable for other restoration projects, and animals from this herd have been transferred to The Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Prairie preserve in Kansas to seed new herds.

Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to see them along the park road. Spring (April and May) is calving season. More on planning a visit at our Wind Cave National Park page.

Frequently asked questions

How much can the pouch actually hold?
The pouch is 8 1/2 inches deep. It’ll fit a small water bottle, a couple of granola bars, sunscreen, and a junior ranger booklet. Not a full daypack, but enough for a kid’s essentials on a short hike or a walk through the visitor center.

What age is this good for?
Ages 3 and up. At 6.6 ounces empty, it’s light enough for young kids and the straps adjust to fit a range of sizes. Use your judgment with very small children around the zipper.

Can I machine wash it?
No. Hand wash only. Spot cleaning with a damp cloth handles minor dirt. For a full wash, use mild soap and warm water, then air dry completely. The plush material holds water, so give it time.

Is this just for kids?
Sized for kids, but the straps do adjust. Adults who collect bison gear buy them too. It’ll sit higher on an adult’s back than a regular bag would.

Do you have other animal backpacks?
Yes. The same Impact Photographics line includes a Smokey Bear Plush Backpack, a Bat Plush Backpack, and a Prairie Dog Plush Backpack, all $19.99.

Are the straps comfortable for little kids?
The woven nylon straps are adjustable and light. They’re not padded like a hiking pack, but for a 6.6-ounce backpack carrying a few snacks, padding isn’t necessary.

Can I see real bison at Wind Cave?
Yes. Wind Cave National Park is about 11 miles north of Hot Springs, South Dakota. The free-roaming herd grazes the mixed-grass prairie above the cave year-round. Early morning and late afternoon are best for sightings. Spring calving season (April and May) adds newborns to the herd.

Does buying this support national parks?
Yes. 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.