{{Short description|Protected area in Oregon, United States}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Three Arch National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness | iucn_category = IV | image = Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge - Oregon.jpg | image_caption = | location = [[Tillamook County, Oregon]], United States | nearest_city = [[Oceanside, Oregon]] | coordinates = {{coord|45.4623244|N|123.9887422|W|region:US-OR|notes=<ref name="gnis">{{cite gnis|1155505|Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge}}</ref>|display=inline, title}} | area = {{convert|15.00|acre}} <ref name="area">{{FWS area|2009}}</ref> | established = October 14, 1907 | governing_body = [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]] | website = [http://www.fws.gov/refuge/three_arch_rocks Three Arch Rocks NWR] }}

'''Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge''' is a U.S. [[National Wildlife Refuge]] off the northern [[Oregon Coast]]. It is located on the central coast of [[Tillamook County, Oregon|Tillamook County]], in the northwestern part of Oregon. It is one of six National Wildlife Refuges within the [[Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex]] and was the first National Wildlife Refuge west of the [[Mississippi River]]. In 1970 the Refuge was designated as [[wilderness]]. It is one of the smallest wilderness areas in the [[United States]].<ref name="wildnet">[http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Three%20Arch%20Rocks Three Rocks Wilderness] - Wilderness.net</ref>

== Geography == Three Arch Rocks consists of {{convert|15|acre|0}} on three large and six small rocky islands located about a half mile (1&nbsp;km) offshore from [[Oceanside, Oregon|Oceanside]]. It is one of the smallest designated [[Wilderness Act|wilderness areas]] in the U.S., but features the largest colony of breeding [[tufted puffin]]s and the largest [[common murre]] colony south of [[Alaska]]. It is the only northern Oregon pupping site for the threatened [[Steller sea lion]].<ref name="fws3">{{cite web | url = http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/3archrocks/index.htm | title = Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge | publisher = [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]] | access-date = 2007-09-18 }}</ref>

== History == [[File:Common Murre Colony.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Common murre]] colony at Three Arch Rocks.]] The refuge was established by President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] after being persuaded by two young conservationists — [[William L. Finley]] and Herman Bohlman — who studied and photographed Three Arch Rocks from Oceanside beginning in 1901. They recorded hunters killing dozens of [[sea lions]] at a time for skin and oil, and sportsmen shooting seabirds purely for sport. Due to a scarcity of regional chicken farms at the time, seabird eggs were priced at up to a dollar per dozen, encouraging egg harvesting and reducing the bird colony population. Finley and Bohlman suggested a wildlife refuge to Roosevelt to protect dwindling populations and ensure survival of seabird and marine mammal populations. Roosevelt declared the Three Rocks area a National Wildlife Refuge in 1907.<ref name="fws3"/> In 1970 the [[United States Congress]] designated the Refuge [[wilderness]]. In 1994, there was a sighting of a group of 2 or 3 [[North Pacific right whale]]s, the most rare and endangered of all large whales at the Rocks.<ref>{{ cite journal|author=[[Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife]]|year=2012|title=Endangered Species|url=http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/endangered/species/misc_whales.pdf/|journal=Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2012 Annual Report|format=pdf|access-date=2015-01-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219002154/http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/endangered/species/misc_whales.pdf|archive-date=2015-02-19}}</ref>

==Protection== [[File:Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge.jpg|thumb|250px|View from the south]] [[File:Three Arch Rocks from Cape Meares Lighthouse.jpg|thumb|250px|View from the [[Cape Meares Light]]]] The Three Arch Rocks Refuge has provided protection for [[Oregon]]'s largest [[seabird]] nesting colony of more than 230,000 birds since October 14, 1907.<ref name="fws3"/> The entire Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex protect over a million nesting seabirds, including common [[murres]], tufted [[puffins]], [[cormorants]], and [[storm-petrels]].

== Access == The islands are closed to public access. Boats must remain at least 500&nbsp;ft (150 m) away during summer months,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/PDF/Boat%20Poster.pdf | title = Help Protect Marine Wildlife | format = [[PDF]] | publisher = [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]] | access-date = 2007-09-14 }}</ref> and aircraft must maintain at least {{convert|2000|ft|m|-2|abbr=on}} clearance.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/PDF/Pilots%20Poster%20FINAL.pdf | title = Pilots: Please Help Protect Marine Wildlife in Oregon | format = [[PDF]] | publisher = [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]] | access-date = 2007-09-14 }}</ref> The area is managed by the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service]].

== See also ==

* [[List of National Wildlife Refuges#Oregon|List of National Wildlife Refuges in Oregon]] * [[List of Oregon Wildernesses]] * [[List of U.S. Wilderness Areas]] * [[Wilderness Act]]

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge}} * {{official website|http://www.fws.gov/refuge/three_arch_rocks/}} * {{cite web |title=Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge Overview |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |url=http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=13595}} * {{cite web |title=Three Arch Rocks Map |publisher=U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |url=http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/images/maps/TAR_public_111607.pdf}} * {{Oregon Encyclopedia|three_arch_rocks_national_wildlife_refuge_wilderness|author=Hardt, Ulrich H.}}

{{Protected areas of Oregon}} {{National Wildlife Refuges of the United States}} {{authority control}}

[[Category:1907 establishments in Oregon]] [[Category:National Wildlife Refuges in Oregon]] [[Category:Oregon Coast]] [[Category:Protected areas established in 1907]] [[Category:Protected areas of Tillamook County, Oregon]] [[Category:Wilderness areas of Oregon]]