Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge


	Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
	11th St, off U.S. Highway 101 Bandon, OR E-mail: oregoncoast@fws.gov Phone Number: 541-867-4550
	Visit the Refuge's Web Site: http://oregoncoast.fws.gov/oregonislands/index.htm

Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Oregon Islands Refuge includes over 1,400 coastal islands, rocks, and reefs scattered along the 320 miles of the Oregon coast, from Tillamook Head south to the California border. Most of this refuge is included in Oregon Islands Wilderness Area. The majority of Oregon's estimated 1.2 million seabirds, including 13 different species, annually breed on this refuge. Refuge sites are also used by brown pelicans (endangered species), bald eagles (threatened species), and the recently delisted peregrine falcons and Aleutian Canada geese.

The rocks, reefs, and islands are also important breeding, pupping, molting, and haul out sites for thousands of seals and sea lions to rest. The Rogue and Orford Reef units of this refuge constitute the largest pupping area for the Federally listed threatened Stellar's sea lions in U.S. waters south of Alaska, with 700-800 pups produced annually. Simpson Reef at Cape Arago is the world's northernmost pupping site for northern elephant seals, and is the largest marine mammal haul out site on the Oregon coast.

Although many of the offshore islands can be viewed from land, the only portion of Oregon Islands refuge that is open to the public is Coquille Point, located just west of Bandon. This picturesque headland provides a fantastic vantage point for observing seabirds and marine mammals. Other major seabird nesting islands and marine mammal use areas can be viewed from the refuge's viewing decks located on Oregon State Park lands, including Cape Arago and Cape Meares.

Getting There . . .
Coquille Point, a mainland unit of Oregon Islands Refuge, is located just west of downtown Bandon. This area provides a fully accessible and panel-interpreted quarter-mile trail with fabulous coastal views. To get to Coquille Point turn west off of Highway 101 onto 11th Street and drive to the ocean.

Click here for a wildlife map of the refuge.

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These driving directions are provided as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.

The majority of Oregon's estimated 1.2 million seabirds including 13 different species annually breed on this refuge. Breeding species include: common murres, Brandt's, double-crested, and pelagic cormorants, Leach's and fork-tailed storm-petrels, Cassin's and rhinoceros auklets, tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, black oystercatchers and western and glaucous-winged gulls.

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Resource values are maintained by natural processes. The refuge is monitored to ensure that these values are not compromised.

The historic "Terrible Tillie" lighthouse is privately owned, but is part of Oregon Islands Refuge through a conservation easement.

Approximately 64 percent of the island acreage has been designated Wilderness, including 5 acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management in the Coos Bay District. The islands are closed to visitation to protect wildlife and other natural, cultural, and/or other resources consistent with the conservation purposes of the refuge.

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