Wolf Gap is a Tennessee nonprofit 501(c)3

history & nature education center

Wolf Gap serves the past, present and future of Giles County with public spaces and public programs.

We serve the public at our location on Tarpley Shop Rd. south of Pulaski, which features our new Education Center as well as two historic log cabins in a lovely natural setting on a 50-acre campus. The Education Center features classroom & exhibit space as well as special event space. Wolf Gap's site is a scenic venue for memorable family picnics, leisurely walks, field trips, demonstrations, festivals, and other events. Many of our programs are also available at your location! 

Our two historic log cabins were relocated from their original locations. One of our cabins was originally located in the community of Saint Joseph in neighboring Lawrence County, and the second cabin was first built in the Bunker Hill community, just a few miles away from Wolf Gap. 

Wolf Gap sits on lands historically claimed by the Cherokee and Chickasaw nations, who lost their rights to this land as a result of treaties with the U.S. government in the 19th century.

Wolf Gap's location on Tarpley Shop Road is only a few hundred yards away from historic Old Stage Road, the oldest north-south route between Pulaski, Elkton, and Huntsville. This portion of Old Stage Road forms part of the Benge route of the Trail of Tears, which saw almost 1200 Cherokee pass in 1838 on their way from Fort Payne, Alabama to Oklahoma. 

Archeological surveys have shown that Wolf Gap was a useful space for indigenous people well before the formation of Chickasaw and Cherokee tribes. Click here for more information on this early human activity at Wolf Gap.

“Why are you named Wolf Gap?”

Wolf Gap is named after a historic place, a gap in the high ridge between two hills near our campus. An old wagon road known as the Wolf Gap Road passed through that gap. Before the Civil War, there were several white-owned farms on the Wolf Gap Road, but after the Civil War, much of the property was owned and farmed by formerly enslaved people who were part of the community known as Wolf Gap and Center Point. There is a legend that a white wolf lived in the Wolf Gap and would chase your hunting dogs out if you went hunting there!

Our Mission:

Wolf Gap shares one-of-a-kind learning opportunities to foster a creative community. Our campus is a community resource providing memorable experiences in a unique natural setting.

Maybe you know us from…

• our in-school outreach programs, bringing engaging history & nature programming into local schools (at zero cost for Giles County public schools)

• our custom field trips for school, homeschool, scout and other groups

• our local history research and outreach, supporting the rediscovery of lost histories in our community

• our hands-on workshops for all ages on subjects such as open hearth cooking, dyeing fabric with plants, or Ukrainian egg dyeing

• the Wolf Gap Day Camps, sharing exciting and memorable experiences with local learners