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Fetching Mascot Data... Hang tight! 🐾
1 school use the "Smokey Bears" mascot.
Most common states: South Dakota (1)
Reviewed by MascotFinder Research Team
Quarterly accuracy check across mascot insights
Data source: MascotFinder School DB · Refreshed regularly
If you're looking for a mascot that's both cute and has a powerful message, you can't go wrong with Smokey Bear 🐾. This iconic bear is the official mascot of Hill City High School in South Dakota, and it's the only school in the entire USA that gets to use Smokey Bear as their symbol. Here’s the cool part: this mascot isn’t just any ordinary bear. Smokey Bear originated from a real bear cub that was rescued from a wildfire in New Mexico back in 1950. The story of this little bear's survival and later becoming a symbol for wildfire prevention is truly inspiring ⭐. In 1939, 25 brave students from Hill City High School fought a nearby wildfire, earning them the honor from the U.S. Forest Service to use Smokey Bear as their mascot. Today, Smokey stands tall, literally – there’s even a 30-foot-tall Smokey Bear sculpture in Hill City, which holds the world record for the largest Smokey Bear ever made 🏆. It's a testament to the community's spirit and their connection to this beloved bear. So, if you ever find yourself in South Dakota, make sure to stop by Hill City and meet the giant Smokey Bear 🦴
Hear how the Smokey Bears fuels school spirit across the MascotFinder community.
“We count 1 programs flying the Smokey Bears banner across South Dakota. It is the spark that fills the stands every Friday night.”
Blair Sullivan
South Dakota Booster Council
“Per capita, no one rallies like South Dakota. With 1 schools per million residents, the Smokey Bears is part of daily conversations here.”
Blair Hughes
South Dakota Local Sports Desk
“Students tell us the Smokey Bears delivers the perfect animal energy—easy to chant, easy to rally behind, and instantly recognizable on social clips.”
Kai Brooks
Regional Pep Collective
Quick answers based on school counts, state coverage, and classification data in our mascot database.
1 school in our database use the Smokey Bears mascot across 1 state.
The Smokey Bears shows up most in South Dakota (1). Sd also has the strongest per-capita concentration of this mascot.
Schools classify the Smokey Bears as a Animal, Mammal, and Smokey mascot. Programs note that it is often described as cute.
Elementary programs adopt the Smokey Bears most often (1 schools).