Rose Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, 14 degrees south of the equator and about 2500 miles south of Hawaii, is at the east end of the Samoan archipelago, 180 miles east of Pago Pago, American Samoa. It is the smallest atoll in the world with about 20 acres of land and 1600 acres of lagoon. The square reef protects two small, emergent islands. Rose Island, the larger of the two, is low, sandy, and thickly vegetated with shrubs, vines, and trees. It is an important nesting area for the threatened green turtle and endangered hawksbill sea turtle.

Rose Atoll is part of the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

The refuge is closed to the public to protect fragile seabird colonies, endangered species, and island habitats. Special use permits to conduct scientific research can be obtained from the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex office in Honolulu. - US Fish & Wildlife Service