I am going to Yellowstone the end of September with my husband and 2 yr old. I am looking for any information on viewing the wolves, best places and times. Also are there any educational programs or tours with the wolves. My husband may do something like that himself. I am not sure how long our 2 yr old can sit still!
Thanks!!!

Someone with more specific knowledge about programs and such may be better at answering this. but . . .
Seeing wolves is a rarity and is never a "sure thing." They are, by nature, reclusive creatures and tend to shy away from places where people travel. Chances are better for spotting coyotes and even that happens occasionally.
best bet is to get out and hike into wildlife territory. Wherever there are moose and elk, the chances go up for a sighting.
I did see some wolves near Gros Ventre Junction. It was near dusk, and they were on the sides of a dried creek bed. I was not expecting to see them and they were there for a only a few seconds. but they were there.
Have a great time in Yellowstone.

Wolves are wild animals - carnivores - and by nature very reclusive. Its not like looking at a herd of elk grazing along the side of the road. I'm not aware of any programs allowing you to "view" them - except at zoos. The whole point is that they not become enured to people - for their own safety.

Plus, considering how much noise the average small child makes I would think the chance of encountering them with a 2-year old in tow to be nil. If you want to teach your child about wildlife I would think you to be much better off signing up for educational family programs at a major zoo.

Actually, you're much more likely to see wolves, bears, etc from the road than on the trail. First, because you're covering much more territory, and second, because when most animals hear humans thrashing through the woods (or even the tall grass) they tend to disappear.

A good place to see Wolves is at the so-called "Rendezvous" site, near where Soda Butte Creek joins the Lamar River on the NE Entrance road. Best time, probably early or late in the day. However, even if you do get lucky and see them, you're not likely to see them "up-close". Your 2-year-old may not be very impressed with a couple of black dots in the far distance. Even powerful binocs often aren't enough.

You ARE likely to see bear, quite possibly near enough to be viewed without glass. Black bears are common around Roosevelt Lodge - I saw one last month that came within 10ft of my vehicle. Saw another near the Petrified Tree that was less than 50 yards from the parking lot. I've even seen grizzly within 30 yards of the road (but rarely).

You can probably find info on Ranger-guided tours and talks at the official NPS website:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm

The Yellowstone Institute offers quite a number of programs about the park's wolves. See their course calendar at http://yellowstoneassociation.org/institute/.

The whole family might enjoy a visit to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. I was skeptical at first, thinking cheesy zoo, but there was a lot to learn there and it was a good chance for kids to get a closer look at a couple of the park's more elusive animals. According to the center the wolves came from packs born in captivity and the bears were orphaned cubs.

http://www.grizzlydiscoveryctr.com/

Thanks for all of the info so far. I am of course very aware of the nature of wolves. My husband and I are avid followers of the reintroduction. We have visited Intl Wolf Center and participated in one of their weekend programs (that is the type of program or tour I was referring to). We also traveled to Minneapolis to view Wolves on IMAX and attend a benefit for the Mexican Wolves program there.
We will check out the Grizzly and Wolf Center.
Thanks!

Sounds like in YS Institute is the sort of thing you're looking for then. I know they have a 3 day field seminar on the park's wolves which was (unfortunately) not available when we visited last month.

While there I started Renee Askins' book (Shadow Mountain) about reintroducing the wolves to YS. You must have read it. I find her fascinating but her prose is a bit flowery and I'm having trouble plowing through the book. Any other recommendations?

I checked on the YS institute website. That was a wonderful resource. I don't think the programs will work out for this trip with our daughter, however I hope we can go back early next year.
I have not read Shadow Mountain. My husband does most of the reading! I will check with him for some recommendations.

The best place to see the wolves is in the Lamar Valley. Best way to find them, drive the road at or before dawn and near sunset. Stop when you see the caravan of cars on the side of the road. The crowds are often on the hillside overlooking the road. You may not see them due to the slope of the land but they are there. Many set up their spotting scopes and invite visitors to use them. Rick McIntyre, in addition to being a park ranger is an author of several books on wolves. He is very helpful & can usually be seen making notes peering through his scope surrounded by others.

This link will take you to a Yellowstone forum where you will find amazing information -

http://www.yellowstone-natl-park.com...ages2/7811.htm

I used this forum extensively to plan an October trip a few years ago. Very friendly (and knowledgeable) regulars. Happy researching!

A quick glance says sightings are rare and more often occur in winter.