Camano Island State Park

Camano Island State Park
Washington State Park
Rocky beach on Puget Sound in Camano Island State Park
Named for: Camano Island
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Island
Elevation	141 ft (43 m) [1]
Coordinates	48°07′43″N 122°29′59″W / 48.12861°N 122.49972°W / 48.12861; -122.49972Coordinates: 48°07′43″N 122°29′59″W / 48.12861°N 122.49972°W / 48.12861; -122.49972 [1]
Area	173 acres (70 ha)
Established	1949
Management	Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Location in state of Washington
Website: Camano Island State Park

Camano Island State Park is a Washington state park in Island County, Washington in the United States. The park is 173 acres (70 ha)^[2] and sits at an elevation of 141 feet (43 m).^[1] It is fourteen miles (21 km) southwest of Stanwood on Camano Island in the Puget Sound. Established in 1949, it has 6,700 feet (2,000 m) of shoreline.^[2] It took just one day for 900 volunteers from Camano Island to complete the initial work on the park.^[3] Camano Island State Park is open for year-round recreation including wildlife observation, hiking and boating.

History

Camano Island is named for Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamaño. The original name of the island was Kal-lut-chin which in the language of the indigenous Snohomish tribe meant "land jutting into a bay".^[3] They used the island as a base during the fishing and shellfish gathering expeditions.^[4]

Jacinto Caamaño explored much of the Pacific Northwest going as farth north as what is now Alaska for the Spanish. He began his expedition far to the south in San Blas, Mexico.^[5] In addition to its Snohomish name the island has also been known as Macdonough Island named for Thomas Macdonough a U.S. Navy officer during the War of 1812 and as Perry Island after an 1855 treaty between local Native Americans and Washington Territory governor Isaac Stevens.^[5] The first Euro-American settlers on the island arrived at the time of the signing of the treaty.^[3] Lastly the island was called Crow Island during the logging era that took place during the early 1900s.^[5]

Nature

Camano Island is in Puget Sound in northwestern Washington. During the Last Ice Age the island, sound and land surrounding the sound was covered by a mile thick sheet of ice. As temperatures rose the glacier receding carving the island and leaving behind deposits of glacial till.^[4]

A wide variety of animals make their homes in the woods, beaches and waters of Camano Island State Park. Mammals include mule deer, elk, skunks, coyotes, chipmunks, rabbits, raccoon, whales, and otters. Fish, shellfish, crustaceans and other sea life in the waters of the park include crabs, sea cucumber, trout, cod, crappie, perch, sharks and eels. A variety of birds are found in the park including bald eagles, owls, osprey, ducks, geese, gulls, hummingbird, wrens, and herons. These animals live among a trees and plants like cedar, Douglas fir, spruce, alder, yew, seaweed, rhododendron, Indian pipe and thistle.^[4]

Recreation

The park features five cabins that are available to rent and an 88 site tent camping ground. A group camp can accommodate up to 100 campers. Two restroom and shower facilities are provided for all campers at Camano Island State Park.^[6] A picnic area is located near the parking lots.

There are 3 miles (4.8 km) of hiking trails and a mile long biking trail at the park. Two boat ramps provide access to the waters of Puget Sound. Swimming and diving are permitted at the beach. Fishing, clamming and crabbing are permitted during the designated seasons.^[2]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Camano Island State Park.

• Camano Island State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
• Camano Island State Park Map Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission