Directions, Address & Contact Info

West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge is closed year round; no visitation is allowed. The address is 14000 West State Route 2, Oak Harbor, OH 43449. Phone is 419-898-0014, and e-mail is ottawa@fws.gov.

Points of Interest

While all access to the island is restricted the West Sister Island lighthouse is visible from the south shore of Lake Erie or from a boat.

West Sister Island took its place in history during the War of 1812. It was here, on September 10, 1813, that Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry sent the immortal message to General William Harrison after the Battle of Lake Erie: "We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop."

The refuge is home to one of the largest colonial waterbird nesting colonies in the Great Lakes.