Yogi’s Great Escape

Yogi’s Great Escape

Year: 1987

Runtime: 94 mins

Language: English

Directors: Paul Sommer, Bob Goe

AdventureAnimationTV Movie

After spring hibernation, Yogi and Boo‑Boo find three orphaned bear cubs on their doorstep and take them in. When Jellystone Park runs out of money, the commissioner orders Ranger Smith to close the park and move the bears to a zoo. Yogi builds a “Supercar” with a picnic‑basket seat for the cubs and leads an escape to find a new home.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Yogi’s Great Escape (1987)

Trace every key event in Yogi’s Great Escape (1987) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Cub near the cave: unexpected family

In spring, Yogi and Boo-Boo wake to find three orphaned cubs named Bopper, Buzzy, and Bitsy left at their cave doorstep. They are hesitant at first, but they decide to take the cubs in and care for them as their own. The cubs quickly adjust to life with the bears.

Cave near Jellystone Park
2

Park budget crisis and closure order

Jellystone Park overruns trigger a budget crisis, and the park commissioner orders the closure of the park. Ranger Smith is tasked with moving the bears to a zoo. Yogi and Boo-Boo worry about a life behind bars.

Jellystone Park
3

The Supercar is born

To keep his freedom, Yogi crafts a getaway Supercar from salvaged car parts stolen from a failed fishing expedition. The vehicle includes a picnic basket rumble seat for the cubs, letting them travel together on the escape. The trio tests the ride as a glitzy, unconventional escape method.

Near Jellystone Park
4

Trapper and Yapper join the chase

Yogi and friends embark on their escape in the Supercar, hoping to outrun the authorities. Ranger Smith initially fails to capture them, then hires a professional trapper named Trapper and his hound Yapper, hoping for a quick capture. However, Trapper and Yapper prove more of a hindrance than help.

Outskirts of Jellystone Park
5

Watermelon patch and bike brigade

The bears raid a watermelon patch and gorge on fruit before retreating to a seemingly abandoned tree house. It turns out to be the secret clubhouse of the Bike Brigade, a trio of boys who ride bicycles and use a shortwave radio. When the boys return, they mistake the bears for aliens and attack with squirt guns until Yogi surrenders and earns their aid.

Watermelon Patch; Bike Brigade treehouse
6

Radio coordination helps the escape

The Bike Brigade calls their cohorts around the country via shortwave radio to monitor Yogi and coordinate the getaway. The children broadcast alerts to anticipate the bears' movements, helping them stay ahead of Ranger Smith. This network becomes crucial to continuing their journey.

Bike Brigade treehouse
7

Western ghost town: jail and rescue

The bears reach a western ghost town where Sheriff Quick Draw McGraw mistakes them for Bandit Bear and Li'l Brother Bear and throws them in jail. The Lone Raiders, another club, helps spring Yogi and Boo-Boo and capture the actual robbers. The confusion ends with the bears cleared of blame.

Western ghost town
8

Bayou encounter with Wally Gator

In the bayou, Wally Gator inhabits a spooky steamboat that serves feasts to the fugitives. He and the bears enjoy a lavish dinner while Ranger Smith and his team close in. A real ghost suddenly appears, scaring everyone away, and the Swamp Foxes come to rescue Yogi and friends.

Bayou; Wally Gator's steamboat
9

Carnival reunion with Snagglepuss

The bears meet Snagglepuss at a carnival who hides them in his Little Egypt stage show. Ranger Smith sees through the disguises, forcing the bears to flee. They escape in a hot air balloon that rises above the midway.

Carnival; Snagglepuss's Little Egypt
10

Balloon ride and Mount Rushmore setback

As the balloon sails across the country, Ranger Smith and his team give pursuit. Trapper and Yapper attempt to grapple the balloon from the top of Mount Rushmore and fall out of sight, effectively removing them from the chase. The balloon continues its flight with Yogi and friends aboard.

Over the United States
11

Empire State Building snag and presidential rescue

The balloon finally snags on the antenna of the Empire State Building in a dense fog. Ranger Smith lands a helicopter nearby, and the President of the United States calls to tell Yogi that Jellystone Park will not be closed. The bears celebrate with a return home.

Empire State Building
12

Return to Jellystone Park

With the park saved, Yogi and his friends return to Jellystone to reunite with their furry community and continue their adventures. The cubs have found a second family with Yogi and Boo-Boo, and life at Jellystone resumes its quirky rhythm. The film closes on a note of hopeful freedom.

Jellystone Park

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:25

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Yogi’s Great Escape

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