The best way to visit the SWCC is by booking a Walk with Wildlife tour of the sanctuary; make the required reservations on the conservation center's website ahead of your planned visit. These guided tours take about 2 hours and offer the chance to see wolves, coyotes, bears, mountain lions, foxes, owls, and other desert animals. Other options include visiting for weekly organized twilight and night hikes, monthly family-day events, and other educational events.
The SWCC is only open to the public for guided tours and scheduled events.
Private tours are available, but require at least 1 month's notice.
The tour route is wheelchair accessible, but wheelchairs are not available to rent.
Guests cannot feed or pet the animals.
Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunblock, and water, since tours pass through sunny areas.
The center is just north of McDowell Mountain Regional Park; in this area, public transportation is limited, and rideshares won't pick travelers up, so driving is best. Head to 156th and Dynamite Streets in Scottsdale and drive down 156th along a dirt road about 0.5 miles (almost 1 kilometer) to the parking lot. As a last resort, you can try making reservations with local taxi companies.
The center is open year-round but can be visited only for guided tours and scheduled public events. To skip the desert heat, the best times to visit are winter from December through February, and spring from March through May, when the weather is relatively temperate. Summer and fall temps easily reach 100°F (38°C) and higher. Visit early to leave time for other activities, or opt for one of the occasional twilight or full-moon tours.
Visitors who reserve a guided tour of the conservation center can see the rescued animals in the sanctuary and learn about their individual rescue stories. The animals are native to the American Southwest and have been rehabilitated, but cannot return to the wild. In addition to gray wolves, mountain lions, foxes, black bears, mule deer, and various hawks, there are rarer species, such as great horned owls, bobcats, and coatimundi, small desert mammals closely related to raccoons.