Three Sisters Wilderness

Infobox_protected_area | name = Three Sisters Wilderness
iucn_category = Ib

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caption =
locator_x =
locator_y =
location = Oregon, USA
nearest_city = Sisters, OR (20 miles NE)
Bend, OR (20 miles E)
lat_degrees = 44
lat_minutes = 05
lat_seconds =
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 121
long_minutes = 57
long_seconds =
long_direction = W
area = 286,708 acres (1,160 km²)
established = January 1, 1964
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = U.S. Forest ServiceThe Three Sisters Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in Oregon. It comprises 286,708 acres (1,160 km²), making it the second largest Wilderness area in Oregon. It was established by the United States Congress in 1964 and is named for the Three Sisters Mountains. [http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Three%20Sisters&error=404 Three Sisters Wilderness] - Wilderness.net]

State Highway 242 separates the Three Sisters Wilderness from the Mount Washington Wilderness to the north, while the Waldo Lake Wilderness shares the southern boundary.

Topography

The Three Sisters Wilderness ranges in elevation from 2,000 to 10,358 feet (600 to 3157 m). The Three Sisters (North Sister at 10,085 feet, Middle Sister at 10,047 feet, and South Sister at 10,358 feet) are found in the eastern portion of the Wilderness. Including Broken Top just to the south at 9,175 feet, there are 14 glaciers offering one of the best examples of the effects of glaciation in the Pacific Northwest. Collier Glacier, between North and Middle Sister, is the largest glacier in Oregon. The headwaters of the Wild and Scenic Whychus Creek (formerly Squaw Creek [ cite web
url = http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/news/2005/08/050819names.shtml
title = Forest Service Proposes Central Oregon Name Changes
date = August 19,2005
publisher = United States Forest Service
accessdate = 2008-09-08 ] ) emerge in the Wilderness.

Vegetation

Forest cover in the Three Sisters Wilderness includes Douglas Fir, Silver Fir, Subalpine fir, mountain hemlock, western hemlock, true fir, lodgepole pine and Ponderosa pine. A large area of the Wilderness above timberline contains alpine meadows. [http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/willamette/recreation/tripplanning/wilderness/threesisters.html Three Sisters Wilderness] - Willamette National Forest]

Recreation

Popular recreational activities in the Three Sisters Wilderness include camping, hiking, rock climbing, and fishing. More than 260 miles (418 km) of trails cross the Wilderness, including 40 miles (60 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail. The South and Middle Sisters are not technically difficult climbs, but the North requires technical expertise and equipment.

References

ee also

* List of Oregon Wildernesses
* List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
* Wilderness Act

External links

* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/willamette/recreation/tripplanning/wilderness/threesisters.html Three Sisters Wilderness] - Willamette National Forest
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/recreation/special/wilderness/threesisters.shtml Three Sisters Wilderness] - Deschutes & Ochoco National Forests
* [http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Three%20Sisters Wilderness.net wilderness information]
* [http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?z=10&n=4888644&e=598609&s=100&size=l&u=7&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25 TopoQuest map of the Three Sisters]