The Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center is an AZA-certified sanctuary in Divide, Colorado, where you can have an up-close encounter with wolves, coyotes, and foxes while learning about their importance to our ecosystem. 

The Colorado Wolf & Wildlife Center is a perfect outing for any animal-loving family. It is located in Divide, Colorado, about an hour west of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Reservations are required. It can be hard to know what tour is the best fit and the webpage is overwhelming. I recommend calling and speaking to the helpful staff to find the right fit. There are age limits on some tours and experiences, so make sure to tell them the ages of your party. We have done both the regular tour and one of the kid-friendly feeding tours. They both allow you to see the wolves up close. However, they do not hide the truth about the realities these animals face from animal trafficking, the fur trade, and hunting practices - so make sure your kids are ready for that type of information. 

They have a large parking lot just outside the gates of the facility. When they are fully booked, someone is in the parking lot for assistance. There is a gift shop, bathrooms, and a picnic area. We like to bring food with us and eat before the tour to have happy kids ready to learn and participate. Check-in at the ticket counter when you arrive. They will give you a hand stamp. You don't need to arrive too early - 15 min is plenty. If you arrive early and don't want to sit at the picnic tables, there is a waiting area inside - ask the staff. 

An experienced and knowledgeable staff member leads each tour. They are very strict about treating the wolves properly and sternly warning about kids throwing things or harassing the animals. The tour is well set up with nice walking paths and guide ropes, so we were close enough to see the wolves, but never so close that it was even tempting for the kids to throw anything into the enclosures. 

Once on tour, you work through the facility, meeting each pair of animals, learning about how they came to be at the sanctuary, and learning a bit about their personalities. The wolves howl, much to the delight of my children, constantly throughout the tour. The wolves come right up to the enclosure fence and are fed treats, so the kids get a great view. The path is not stroller-friendly. There were plenty of small children on our day tour shuffling along and a few small ones in baby carriers. 

The tour lasts about an hour and ends with a group howl and a visit to the gift shop.