Some may remember the unintentional tourist attraction, dubbed the Yogi Bear Graveyard, that was located off I-95 in North Carolina. When Yogi Bear Honey Fried Chicken locations began closing across the Southeast, the fiberglass statues that once occupied those restaurants were purchased by the Jellystone Park Campground in Halifax. The statues welcomed travelers to the park and were placed around the grounds and at its miniature golf course. When the campground closed, the statues of Yogi, Boo-Boo, Cindy Bear, Ranger Smith, and others were left in a field beside the Lakewood Truck Stop. At the time, Lakewood was considered one of the largest, if not the largest, truck stops along the East Coast.
Eventually, Lakewood also closed, while the statues were left sitting in the field, exposed to the weather. Slowly, the field became a tourist attraction as word spread, and people began stopping to relive their nostalgia. But in 2008, new owners purchased the land and removed the statues.
Today, one Yogi Bear’s Honey Fried Chicken location remains open in Hartsville, South Carolina, and many of the statues that once sat in that field were rescued and found new homes.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.