Besides the village of Wolfenschiessen itself, the municipality includes the settlements of Altzellen, Büren ob dem Bach, Dörfli, and Oberrickenbach, together with a large area of high alpine land, mountains, lakes, and glaciers.

[5] During the 12th century the farm and fields of Wolfenschiessen were owned by the Benedictine Muri Abbey.

[4] The municipality's coat of arms is Azure, a Wolf rampant Argent pierced by an Arrow in bend sinister Or.

The settlements of Wolfenschiessen, Büren ob dem Bach and Dörfli lie in the valley, whilst Altzellen and Oberrickenbach are on higher ground to the east.

The historical population is given in the following chart:[16] In the 2015 federal election the only major party which ran in Nidwalden was the SVP which received 88.7% of the vote in Wolfenschiessen.

[18] In the 2007 federal election the most popular party was the FDP which received 89.3% of the vote.

[15] Wolfenschiessen is a mixed agro-industrial community, a municipality where agriculture and manufacturing play a significant role in the economy.

Of these, a total of 229 people worked in 86 businesses in the primary economic sector.

[21] In 2015 local hotels had a total of 22,642 overnight stays, of which 33.5% were international visitors.

[22] In 2015 the average cantonal, municipal, and church tax rate in the municipality for a couple with two children making SFr 80,000 was 3.8% while the rate for a single person making SFr 150,000 was 13.5%, both of which are much higher than the average for the canton.

[3][25] Many other cable cars provide access to higher dwellings, farms, and tourist destinations on both sides of the valley.

At its uttermost east end is also the place of an intermediate stop (Trübsee, Germanized without 'e') on the cable car system that links Engelberg and the summit of Klein Titlis.

[26] The main sights of Wolfenschiessen are the St. Maria parish church, the St. Joder chapel in Altzellen, and the Hechhuis and Grossitz mansions.

The farmhouses Grossitz at Hauptstrasse 31 and Unteres Brunnifeld at Hauptstrasse 41, the Hechhuis or Lussyhaus mansion, and the house Hofstatt im Dörfli are all listed as Swiss heritage site of national significance.