West Sister Island
| West Sister Island | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Waters | Lake Erie |
| Geographical location | 41 ° 44 ′ 23 " N , 83 ° 6 ′ 19" W |
 |
|
| surface | 33 ha |
| Highest elevation | 186 m |
| Residents | uninhabited |
The West Sister Island is an approximately 33 hectare and uninhabited island in the west of Lake Erie and belongs to the US state Ohio . It is about 14 kilometers from the mainland, the nearest city is Toledo , 35 kilometers away.
The West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge was founded in 1937 by the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and has since been jointly owned by the United States Coast Guard and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service . The island may only be entered for research purposes and can only be reached by boat. West Sister Island is the only wilderness area in Ohio.
A 17 meter high lighthouse has been located on the southwest tip of the island since 1821 . Today's stone lighthouse was built in 1868, automated in 1937 and is still in operation today. The guard's house was demolished in the 1940s, so that only the tower itself remains today.