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No reservations needed/accepted
be sure to read our FAQ's under the "Visitor Information"
tab before planning your visit!
check out our "events" tab for additional upcoming events & special programs!!
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2026 marks our 20th year!
Wolf Mountain Nature Center opened its gates to the public in the spring of 2006 with only two wolves on site. Our purpose was, and continues to be, not only exhibiting wild canids to visitors, but primarily to offer information and education about these animals via guided tours, on-site docents, and programming. Years later, our center now includes four species of foxes, Eastern Coyotes, and wolves of various sub-species. Our habitat space has grown tremendously, offering the animals more room to live. Our gift shop was remodeled. Forested hiking trails have been expanded. A Memorial Garden was created to remember those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Staff have been advocating for wolves and the environment at various zoos, colleges, libraries, and interest group meetings. About a thousand trees and shrubs have been planted throughout the grounds. The list goes on, but clearly, we are here to stay, grow, advocate, and educate while, most importantly, providing a safe, healthy, and comfortable life for our special critters!
Throughout the year of our 20th anniversary, there will be special programs, offers, and activities. Check our website and social media for monthly updates as to new opportunities and events. Here's to another 20!
Wolf Mountain Nature Center opened its gates to the public in the spring of 2006 with only two wolves on site. Our purpose was, and continues to be, not only exhibiting wild canids to visitors, but primarily to offer information and education about these animals via guided tours, on-site docents, and programming. Years later, our center now includes four species of foxes, Eastern Coyotes, and wolves of various sub-species. Our habitat space has grown tremendously, offering the animals more room to live. Our gift shop was remodeled. Forested hiking trails have been expanded. A Memorial Garden was created to remember those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Staff have been advocating for wolves and the environment at various zoos, colleges, libraries, and interest group meetings. About a thousand trees and shrubs have been planted throughout the grounds. The list goes on, but clearly, we are here to stay, grow, advocate, and educate while, most importantly, providing a safe, healthy, and comfortable life for our special critters!
Throughout the year of our 20th anniversary, there will be special programs, offers, and activities. Check our website and social media for monthly updates as to new opportunities and events. Here's to another 20!
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20th anniversary celebration
Wolves & Watermelons:
Sunday, July 26, 2026 12-4 pm
A special day to commemorate our 20th anniversary of being a wolf preserve and nature center!
Join docents on informational talks about our history and animals, walk through our wooded trails, watch the animals as they receive summer treats, browse the gift shop, enjoy music and
food by Kandi’s Kitchen
Admission: 12 & up: $10 kids 6 – 11: $5 kids 5 & under: free
(please...cash only at admissions)
Wolves & Watermelons:
Sunday, July 26, 2026 12-4 pm
A special day to commemorate our 20th anniversary of being a wolf preserve and nature center!
Join docents on informational talks about our history and animals, walk through our wooded trails, watch the animals as they receive summer treats, browse the gift shop, enjoy music and
food by Kandi’s Kitchen
Admission: 12 & up: $10 kids 6 – 11: $5 kids 5 & under: free
(please...cash only at admissions)
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New for our 20th anniversary:
HELP FEED OUR WOLVES & FOXES! On select Sundays, visitors can purchase food on site to be fed to the animals during your visit! Purchase a $5 or $10 voucher at our admissions cabin and present it to the Animal Care Team during feeding times when you will be given a bucket of foods (usually raw meats) to be fed to the animals. $5 vouchers are good for tossing food over the fence into awaiting hungry mouths, while the $10 voucher allows you to enter a secured section (aka: wolves are locked elsewhere) of an enclosure with our staff to "hide" the food to encourage hunting/foraging for the animals. For feeding of wolves: participants must be at least 12 years old (tho any age may observe) and able to toss food over a 10 foot high fence. For feeding of foxes: participants must be at least 6 years old. Additional details/instructions will be given at time of purchase. Limited vouchers available and are on first come/first served basis. Feeding days for summer months: July 5 and July 19 August 2, 16, & 30 |
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July Animals of the Month: Fern & Trillium!
Our two gray tree foxes are frequently overlooked as they typically spend most of the daytime hours resting high in their trees and upper lofts. Having rotating wrists and semi-retractable claws makes them excellent tree climbers where they nest high in the tree canopies. Indigenous to New York State, they are not as numerous as red fox and are smaller in stature. One way to tell grays from reds is that grays have black tipped tails and a dark medial stripe down their spine whereas red fox have a white tipped tail.
During the month of July, sponsorships for our gray foxes score you a discount: you save $5 off each sponsorship! Visit our Donate/Sponsor tab to purchase!
Our two gray tree foxes are frequently overlooked as they typically spend most of the daytime hours resting high in their trees and upper lofts. Having rotating wrists and semi-retractable claws makes them excellent tree climbers where they nest high in the tree canopies. Indigenous to New York State, they are not as numerous as red fox and are smaller in stature. One way to tell grays from reds is that grays have black tipped tails and a dark medial stripe down their spine whereas red fox have a white tipped tail.
During the month of July, sponsorships for our gray foxes score you a discount: you save $5 off each sponsorship! Visit our Donate/Sponsor tab to purchase!
Trillium
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Fern
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Our Mission:
- -To observe animal behaviors and present objective educational programs about Gray Wolves, Eastern Coyotes, Gray, Red, and Arctic Fox.
- -To develop unique and interesting environmental educational programs and deliver them to a diverse audience.
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The Wolf Mountain Nature Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization situated atop a hill encompassing 70 acres of forests, meadows, and ponds located in Chenango County in central New York State.
Come enjoy a self-guided or docent-guided tour of the nature center and view our critters in their spacious (some as big as 9.2 acres!) outdoor, scenic habitats. Educated, dedicated volunteers are available and will introduce you to our animals, teach about their diets, habitats, and share personal stories about the center's animals. While New York State regulations prohibit visitors from having physical contact with the animals, admirers can view the wolves, foxes, and coyotes from a distance of only 4 feet away! Come take lots of photos, have lunch in the picnic area, visit our Native American Indian tipi, enjoy a stroll on our wooded nature trails, learn how our solar system powers our gift shop and classroom, and shop for "wolf-themed" gifts in our gift shop cabin.
Please click on the "visitor information" tab for answers to frequently asked questions about your visit
Come enjoy a self-guided or docent-guided tour of the nature center and view our critters in their spacious (some as big as 9.2 acres!) outdoor, scenic habitats. Educated, dedicated volunteers are available and will introduce you to our animals, teach about their diets, habitats, and share personal stories about the center's animals. While New York State regulations prohibit visitors from having physical contact with the animals, admirers can view the wolves, foxes, and coyotes from a distance of only 4 feet away! Come take lots of photos, have lunch in the picnic area, visit our Native American Indian tipi, enjoy a stroll on our wooded nature trails, learn how our solar system powers our gift shop and classroom, and shop for "wolf-themed" gifts in our gift shop cabin.
Please click on the "visitor information" tab for answers to frequently asked questions about your visit
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Regular Hours:
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Education center, trails, & gift shop open, as are our animal exhibits of Gray Wolves, Arctic Foxes, Gray Foxes, Red Foxes, and Eastern Coyotes.
Admission during regular hours of operation is $8/person (5 and under are free). Special events/fundraisers may have alternate pricing. We very much appreciate any additional donation that you can make no matter how small (See our "sponsorship" page to "adopt" an animal!). It costs a small fortune to feed, house, care for the animals here and to continue our growth with new projects. Thank you! For private tours: General Public: $200 for up to 20 people (regardless of age), with an additional fee of $10 per person if more than 20 in your group. Private group tours/visits are booked in increments of two hours. School age groups (Pre K - grade 12): $200 for up to 20 people, with an additional fee of $8 per person if more than 20 in your group. Length of visit varies based on your program's needs/interests. (Please note that at least 75% of your group must be school age children to qualify for this rate.) |
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Address:
The Wolf Mountain Nature Center Inc.
562 Hopkins Crandall Road
Smyrna, New York, 13464
607-627-6784
[email protected]
We are located in scenic upstate New York just an hour or two drive from Syracuse, Utica, Ithaca, Cooperstown, and Binghamton. We are on the Hopkins Crandall Road only 20 minutes from Norwich, Hamilton, Colgate University and, Morrisville College.
Please click on our "Visitor Information" tab above for answers to frequently asked questions and more specific driving directions to the center.
Address:
The Wolf Mountain Nature Center Inc.
562 Hopkins Crandall Road
Smyrna, New York, 13464
607-627-6784
[email protected]
We are located in scenic upstate New York just an hour or two drive from Syracuse, Utica, Ithaca, Cooperstown, and Binghamton. We are on the Hopkins Crandall Road only 20 minutes from Norwich, Hamilton, Colgate University and, Morrisville College.
Please click on our "Visitor Information" tab above for answers to frequently asked questions and more specific driving directions to the center.
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Canid species at the Center:
Cypress
GRAY WOLVES:
Look into the eyes of the wolf and feel its enduring spirit. Once revered by indigenous people, these magnificent creatures have been persecuted to the brink of near extinction. At the center, visitors can observe pack dynamics, learn about wolf communication, and discover the truths about these often misunderstood animals and their crucial role in maintaining balance in nature.
On Howl Nights, learn all the ways wolves communicate including through body language, scenting, and various vocalizations. Listen to the ancient call of the wolf and participate in a pack howl!
Look into the eyes of the wolf and feel its enduring spirit. Once revered by indigenous people, these magnificent creatures have been persecuted to the brink of near extinction. At the center, visitors can observe pack dynamics, learn about wolf communication, and discover the truths about these often misunderstood animals and their crucial role in maintaining balance in nature.
On Howl Nights, learn all the ways wolves communicate including through body language, scenting, and various vocalizations. Listen to the ancient call of the wolf and participate in a pack howl!
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ARCTIC FOXES:
Witness the beauty of these highly adaptable creatures known as the "ghost spirits of the north" by the Inuit people. Learn how the Arctic Fox is built for extreme cold from the tip of its ears to the pads of its feet. Watch the playful antics of the younger foxes during enrichment programs. Understand how climate changes such as melting polar caps presents a serious threat to the future of their (and our) existence. |
Aurora Borealis
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Fern & Trillium
GRAY FOXES:
Also known as tree foxes, these foxes can actually climb trees and prefer the higher canopy of the forest. With rotating wrists and semi-retractable claws, these super agile nocturnal foxes leap from branch to branch with incredible dexterity and accuracy. Ours have a habitat area with plenty of various trees, branches, ramps, and platforms to practice using their climbing techniques.
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RED/SILVER FOXES: The most common fox in New York State and in many areas is easily identifiable by its reddish/orange color or silvery/black variation, black legs, and white tipped tail (gray foxes have a black tipped tail.) Red fox can be found in a multitude of environments including fields, forests, and even suburban areas. |
EASTERN COYOTES:
See the animal you hear yelping in the night who probably lives in your neighborhood. Observe their behaviors within a pack relationship. Learn how to appreciate their contribution and benefits to the ecosystem, and how humans can live with these highly intelligent, resilient, and adaptable creatures.
EASTERN COYOTES:
See the animal you hear yelping in the night who probably lives in your neighborhood. Observe their behaviors within a pack relationship. Learn how to appreciate their contribution and benefits to the ecosystem, and how humans can live with these highly intelligent, resilient, and adaptable creatures.
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We are inspected, regulated, and licensed by both New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) |
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