Three Sisters Wilderness

Three Sisters Wilderness
Aerial view of the wilderness, showing Middle Sister (left) and South Sister
Map
LocationLane / Deschutes counties, Oregon, USA
Nearest citySisters, OR (20 miles NE)
Bend, OR (20 miles E)
Coordinates44°05′N 121°57′W / 44.083°N 121.950°W / 44.083; -121.950
Area286,708 acres (1,160.27 km2)
EstablishedSeptember 3, 1964 (date of official designation under the Wilderness Act)[1]
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service

The Three Sisters Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in Oregon, United States. It comprises 286,708 acres (1,160.27 km2), making it the second largest wilderness area in Oregon, after the Eagle Cap Wilderness. It was established by the United States Congress in 1964 and is named for the Three Sisters volcanoes. The wilderness boundary encloses the Three Sisters as well as Broken Top, which is southeast of South Sister.[2]

Three Sisters was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve under the Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1976, and was one of 17 reserves in the United States withdrawn from the programme in June 2017.[3][4][5]

Oregon Route 242 separates the Three Sisters Wilderness from the Mount Washington Wilderness to the north, while the Waldo Lake Wilderness shares the southern boundary.[2]

The three peaks were known by pioneers as Faith, Hope and Charity.[6] Nearby landmarks include The Husband, The Wife, and the Little Brother.[7]

  1. ^ Hendee, John C.; Canon Jr., William R.; Marlow, Larry D.; Brockman, C. Frank (1968). "Wilderness Users in the Pacific Northwest - Their Characteristics, Values, and Management Preferences" (PDF). U.S.D.A. Forest Service Research Paper PNW-61. U.S. Forest Service. p. 6. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Three Sisters Wilderness - Wilderness.net
  3. ^ "Three Sisters". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  4. ^ UNESCO. "Biosphere Reserves: Europe & North America". Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  5. ^ "23 new sites added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves". 14 June 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  6. ^ McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (1974) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0875950389.
  7. ^ Friedman, Ralph (1990). In Search of Western Oregon. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd. p. 694. ISBN 0-87004-332-3.