West Sister Island Wilderness
When sailing ships first navigated the waters of Lake Erie, a lighthouse perched on the westernmost point of West Sister Island guided them. Keepers operated the light until 1937 when it became automated. The lighthouse and the surrounding area now form the West Sister Island Wilderness in the West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge, managed as a satellite of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. This island Wilderness rises from the water to a not-very-high point of 35 feet. More than 75 percent of the land is shaded by a 40 to 50-foot-tall hackberry trees.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| State | Ohio |
| Size | 77 acres |
| Designated | 1975, by Congress |
| Center point | 41.74° N, 83.11° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 6) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Weather by month
Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miWest Sister Island Light ↗Toledo, OH
- 11.7 miCarroll Township Hall ↗Oak Harbor, OH
- 14.5 miHall of the Divine Child ↗Monroe, MI
- 14.9 miNorth Bass School ↗Isle St. George, OH
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Ohio
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is West Sister Island Wilderness?
77 acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages West Sister Island Wilderness?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is West Sister Island Wilderness in?
Ohio.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was West Sister Island Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1975.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to West Sister Island Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 41.740° N, 83.106° W. Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial is 16 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near West Sister Island Wilderness?
Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial (16 mi) and River Raisin National Battlefield Park (18 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near West Sister Island Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including West Sister Island Light and Carroll Township Hall.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.