Three Sisters Wilderness
| Three Sisters Wilderness | |
|---|---|
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IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
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Aerial view of the wilderness, showing Middle Sister (left) and South Sister
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| Location | Lane / Deschutes counties, Oregon, USA |
| Nearest city |
Sisters, OR (20 miles NE) Bend, OR (20 miles E) |
| Coordinates | 44°05′N 121°57′W / 44.083°N 121.950°WCoordinates: 44°05′N 121°57′W / 44.083°N 121.950°W |
| Area | 286,708 acres (1,160.27 km2) |
| Established | September 3, 1964 (date of official designation under the Wilderness Act) |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
The Three Sisters Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in Oregon, USA. 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.
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.
Many types of landforms make up the wilderness area, but the most common are volcanic features, the most notable being the Cascades which are stratovolcanoes having formed around 1.6 million years ago. Numerous cinder cones have formed on their flanks as well as many lava flows that contain hundreds of lava tubes.
The Three Sisters Wilderness ranges in elevation from 2,000 to 10,358 feet (610 to 3,157 m). The Three Sisters—North Sister at 10,085 feet (3,074 m), Middle Sister at 10,047 feet (3,062 m), and South Sister at 10,358 feet (3,157 m) — are found in the eastern portion of the Wilderness. Including Broken Top—just to the south at 9,175 feet (2,797 m) — 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) emerge in the Wilderness.
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