There are approximately 41,000 ZIP codes in the United States. Exactly one of them belongs to a bear.

Smokey Bear—America's most famous wildfire prevention icon—has his own personal ZIP code: 20252. And he's in some pretty exclusive company. The only other individual with a private ZIP code? The President of the United States.

Why Does a Bear Need His Own ZIP Code?

It all started in 1950, when a real bear cub was rescued from the Capitan Gap fire in New Mexico's Lincoln National Forest. Badly burned and orphaned, the cub was nursed back to health and became the living symbol of the already-popular Smokey Bear campaign.

When Smokey moved to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., something unexpected happened: the fan mail started pouring in. And we're not talking about a few letters here and there—we're talking about thousands upon thousands of letters from children and adults alike.

The U.S. Postal Service quickly realized they had a problem. Smokey's mail was overwhelming the zoo's normal postal operations. So in a move that's both pragmatic and delightful, they gave him his own ZIP code. No street address needed—just Smokey Bear, Washington, DC 20252.

You Can Still Write to Smokey Today

Even though the original Smokey passed away in 1976 after 26 years at the National Zoo, his ZIP code lives on. The U.S. Forest Service still manages the address, and yes, you can absolutely mail him a letter right now.

Children send him drawings. Adults share memories of camping trips. Wildfire survivors send thank-you notes for spreading fire prevention awareness. Every piece of mail sent to 20252 is received, and many writers get a response.

It's a weird little quirk of American bureaucracy—a ZIP code created for a bear that became more famous than most humans. And it's still active today, nearly 75 years after that scared little cub was pulled from the ashes of a New Mexico forest fire.

So if you've ever wanted to tell a national icon that only he can prevent wildfires, now you know exactly where to send that letter.

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