wolf mountain sanctuary

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!

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 had visited this place because my daughter found it on the web and she really loves wolves. The whoel experience was wonderful and we got to feed and posted with the wolves and the wolf pups. Tanya was wonderful and we felt that they are doing their best to keep the wolves health and happy. We brought some frozen chicken for treats to the wolves and they love it. Highly recommended if you love wolves.

Look bud, they're not going to let you in the cage with a 200lbs, one eyed, white wolf. Check your expectations with reality. The best you might get to interact with is a pup, or an old one, so they don't rip your face off. The pens are on the small side but I respect what they're doing. Don't like the conditions? Donate money and time to change it. I thought it was awesome to see the wolves, just remember its a recuse. Not a 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.

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.

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.

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!

One amazing woman doing amazing work! We stayed at Wolf Mountain Sanctuary and it changed our lives forever!I will never forget the courage and dedication Tonya has. The wolves are wonderful

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.

Although I am all for helping wildlife, especially wolves that have been born in captivity, I am not for keeping them in small pens in a place that reaches over 100 degrees in the summer time. It appears that the wolves are taken care of because they get food and water, but they are clearly in the wrong environment. All of those wolves are northern wolves and belong in a sanctuary in a climate like Colorado, Washington, or Oregon. If everyone there really cared for those wolves, they would have them relocated to an environment more suitable for them. A lot of people are blinded to the conditions of the grounds because they get to see and interact with wolves. While interacting with wolves is an amazing and transforming experience, it's at the expense of the health and well being of the wolves. The place appears to be doing the best they can with what they have. If the founder Tonya Little Wolf, if that is even her real name, cared so much for them she would get her act together and find a more professional approach to taking care of the wolves. Keeping tabs on this place has allowed me to realize that 6 wolves have died there between August 2011 to May 2013, and as I understand it, one more is sick supposedly with cancer. It makes me ask myself if it was natural causes or lack of proper maintenance, care and poor diet. Since wolves are extremely adaptable, they tolerate their surroundings because they have no choice. One of the tour guides a male with long hair, told me that wolves never stop growing. That is not the truth. He needs to do a little research and educate himself before he continues to give tours. Other tour guides gave more wrong information about how many layers of fur wolves have. They only have 2 not 3. I also witnessed abuse while I was there as well. I for one did not like seeing one of the youngest ones picked up by his scruff and slammed hard to the ground for wanting to give a kiss. Tonya did this herself. She said that it is necessary to treat them that way because they are wolves, they need to understand who is alpha. I was shocked to see the abuse first hand especially at a place that calls itself a sanctuary. It makes me wonder what goes on after visiting hours. I rate this place poorly. I hope the $25 I paid was actually spent on the wolves. It looks like she needs the wolves to live off of, the wolves do not need her. They would do much better somewhere else with someone else that could give them the environment they need and deserve. She says she has been trying to move the wolves to a better environment. I pray that the wolves get what they need for their comfort, health, and well being.

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)

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.

These people are horribly disorganized, inexcusably misinformed about wolves, and they disregard visitors who pay a minimum of $25 a piece for a tour. Our "tour" consisted of sitting around for the entire hour while we waited for Tanya to get her act together. Ultimately, she went into the house halfway through our "tour" and never came back out, while her daughter made excuses for her. Some disheveled old guy showed up with an armful of laundry and meanly kicked at the two wolf cubs running loose in the compound while he stuffed his clothes into the washer on the back porch--all amidst a screaming match between him and the two women. Then a young Native American man showed up, and the daughter abandoned all the visitors to flirt with him. The three of us finally left in disgust.The only wolves we got to interact with were the cubs and a very old wolf who just lay there while I scratched him. In fact, I never saw him get up during our entire visit.I feel sorry for these wolves. They're housed in chain-link pens on hard dirt and rocks out in the blistering desert. If this were a zoo, it would be closed by animal welfare agents. I've visited other wolf sanctuaries, and they are all lightyears better in all respects.I raised a wolf from 2 weeks old until he died of old age at 14. If I would have treated him like these wolves, I'd never be able to live with myself.There also is an emphasis on CASH transactions and donations, which makes me think this is basically a scam. We were told it costs $500 a day to feed these wolves. C'mon. I know first hand how much it costs per day to feed a wolf; a 50 lb. bag of feed that costs $25 lasted several weeks.