An uninhabited wildlife refuge, it is the southernmost point belonging to the United States, about 170 miles (150 nmi; 270 km) to the east of Tutuila, the principal island of American Samoa.

The total area of the atoll, including lagoon and reef flat amounts to 6.33 km2 (1,560 acres).

(Swains Island is also an atoll, but only politically part of American Samoa, not geographically.)

The earliest Western sighting was June 13, 1722, during the voyage of Jacob Roggeveen, who called it Vuil Eiland "useless island.

[8] At the signing of the order establishing the monument, President George W. Bush noted that "the waters surrounding the atoll are the home of many rare species, including giant clams and reef sharks—as well as an unusual abundance of rose-colored corals".

Rose Atoll contains the largest populations of giant clams, nesting seabirds and rare reef fish in all of American Samoa.

Sea mammals such as the endangered humpback whale and the dolphin genus Stenella also use the waters.

Red-footed boobies and greater and lesser frigate birds nest in the buka trees.

[11] The atoll has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a breeding population of some 400,000 sooty terns, as estimated in 1974.