Great experience to see the wolves. Added bonus was to go inside one of the pens and meet Halon (2 year old 80# wolf). He was friendly and just licked my whole head (hair). These animals are so much biggier and more powerful than dogs. The one hour visit was uplifting and good for the spirit!
A life long dream came true for me when we visited Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, we received a very warm welcome from the staff and were treated to an interactive experience with these beautiful animals I will never forget, you can see and feel the love and hard work that Tonya and her staff put into trying make a happy life for the wolves and the heart break also to know how much more there is to be done, I have no hesitation in recommending a visit and if you can...donate a little to help the wolves.Fiona-Australia
I recently visited Wolf Mountain Sanctuary with a friend and I had all of my dreams come true! It was a very interactive and up close and personal experience with these beautiful creatures. Tonya and her staff are very patient and knowledgeable, you can tell that they definitely love these animals! We got to give the wolves treats, take great pictures, and get kisses! Kisses from wolves?? I thought that was only in my dreams...but no, it can also happen here! Make sure and check out the gift shop before you leave...it's small...but filled with all sorts of wonderful handmade items you can't find anywhere else...needless to say I definitely recommend this place!
We were lead to believe we'd get to interact with the wolves. I guess feeding them dog treats through a fence is interaction? The memorial wall for all the wolves who have died from cancer from the contaminated land was disturbing to say the least. If you know the contamination causes cancer why continue to bring more wolves there? Her intentions may be good but it's a death sentence for these beautiful creatures. We were hounded to make donations from the moment we arrived. The wolves were all in small.enclosures with pools of stagnant water. Very sad and truly opened my.eyes. this is not a sanctuary, it's a petting zoo.
We were staying in Palm Springs and wanted to go to Wolf Mountain Sanctuary for a while. About a 90 minute drive into Lucerne Valley,CA and well worth the trip. We were welcomed by Tonya Littlewolf, the Founder/Owner and Nay Nay (Sp?) a Lacota wolf whisperer (my opinion).They introduced us to a number of the beautiful wolves. We got to pet and interact with a few of them and learned more than I ever would have imagined. For instance, wolves do not have any odor, they have webbed feet acting as snowshoes and are incredibly smart, intuitive and healing. Many of these wolves were in the Twilight series. The Sanctuary was never wholly compensated so if you are a fan of "Team Jacob", you should take the time to go see the four legged stars of the movies and give generously as Tonya Littlewolf is doing a beautiful thing. She is letting these wolves live with dignity and respect.
I have traveled from the San Fernando Valley at least 6 times in 2014 to visit this wonderful sanctuary. Tonia, the originator and director does as much for her charges as she possibly can. Based on her small donation base she does wonders. On my second visit I was standing next to a large wooden structure placed in the middle of an enclosure for two male wolves; littermates I believe. Both had a very small amount ot dog in their DNA. - but, they were wolves not dogs! One, the more social of the two, jumped up on the wooden structure and with his face next to mine, looked me in the eye.. Out-of-the-blue, his long pink tongue came out and he licked my face - an experience, for me, so wonderful and unforgetable as I dearly love wild animals, particularly wolves.Kissed by a Wolf - it doesn't get much better than that so I have adopted it as my AKB. William Majors (Kissed by a Wolf)
We are all for helping animals and visit ranches, sanctuaries and shelters on a regular basis. I thought some of the negative reviews were a bit harsh but I must agree with some of the comments following our recent visit.Cons:-Extreme warm temps seem too hot for these animals. They do have small pools but not sure it's enough during the summer months. -Flies were nesting/eating several wolves ear tips; just like dogs can get. -Tour guide rambled for 2-hrs on our 1-hr tour; colorful guide & too political while providing some wolf facts; didn't even take a breather for visitor questions. They should stick to a professional FAQ script. -A bit unorganized. I suppose this was due to visitors arriving late. -You can see everything in 15 minutes. I'm not sure what there is to do here for a half-day or full-day tour. -This is someone's home and animal pens were added to the yard/property; not necessarily a sanctuary. -Visitors can not wear sunglasses or hats as it frightens the wolves and they must see your eyes; a camera is permitted. Plan accordingly. Pros:-Gentleman who greeted us was friendly and appreciative of the frozen chicken donation....we never show up empty handed : ) -Fed a few wolves carrots. -Pet two wolves & took photos. -The wish list does note they are looking for new property and hope to increase the pen sizes.-Tee's, hats and other gift items available.You must make an appointment to visit the facility. This is a residence and there is not always someone on-site or available for tours. I understand a better time to visit is the winter during the morning when the wolves are howling & more active.Overall it's a little depressing & I feel sorry for the wolves. We are so touched by people who want to help animals and realize many resources are necessary but this place could be so much better. We really wanted to find the good in this place but left feeling a bit unsettled.
Leave your sunglasses in the car because apparently if they see their own reflection in them they will think it's a strange wolf and attack.My boyfriend and I did the 1 hour tour, but they are really great and we were there for at least 3 hours in the end. Very knowledgeable about the wolves and then at the end we were able to go into one of the cages to pet one. Very cool experience. They really appreciate it if you bring food for the wolves (they have specifics for diets on the website)
We arrived on time, but no one came to let us in until 15 minutes after our scheduled time. The man greeted us said that everyone was still in bed sleeping he had us pay and then we waited for over an hour while one of the guides cleaned the pens while we sat in the hot sun waiting. One of the wolves started throwing up. Tonya came out very briefly and spoke with us she was on her way to the vet. The actual tour lasted about 15 minutes and we went into one pen with one wolf for a few photos and fed him treats. Then we went into a pen with one wolf with just three legs. I felt sad for the wolves with very little shade, and they were still trying to shed their winter coat so therefore looked horrible. I honestly don't see how these wolves are in a good environment. I had the impression that the staff were lazy and just living off donations. I had last visited here maybe 10 years ago and now it saddens me to see these wolves in such bad conditions. I was told a long time ago the contamination on the site is not environmental, it is evil spirit of the white man.
This wolf centre is located out in the desert to the NE of LA. Wolf Mountain offers tours (which take around an hour) for a minimum of $25 per person, although there are other options as well. There are around a dozen (socialised) wolves kept here, in small pens - given the size of the site, it's all that's available. The pens all had shade available for the wolves.The wolves themselves seemed happy enough and they're clearly given a lot of attention by the staff running the centre. They came up to the fence and enjoyed being stroked by the staff. There was no sign of any stereotypical behaviour as is sometimes seen with wolves in zoos. The staff were enthusiastic and pleasant, although some of the facts on offer were a bit dubious (eg it was mentioned that wolves keep growing through their lives, which isn't the case).There was an opportunity to meet one of the older wolves up close (as per the photo with this review) and at the end of the tour there was some time spent in the yearlings' enclosure and they were typical young wolves - friendly, inquisitive and wanting to play. The handlers did a great job of keeping an eye on them and making sure they didn't get too boisterous. All in all, it's a good place to visit. The wolves are cared for and despite the limited room available (and the prevailing climate) they seemed perfectly content. The staff are friendly and the only down-side was some of the information being given out.