Last updated: November 19, 2022
Place
Stuart Island Marine State Park
Quick Facts
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
8 listed
Beach/Water Access, Benches/Seating, Canoe/Kayak/Small Boat Launch, Pets Allowed, Primitive Campsites, Restroom, Tent Campsites, Water - Drinking/Potable
Stuart Island Marine State Park's blue coves, rocky beaches, and forested trails greet visitors who arrive by watercraft (the only way to get to Stuart Island) to this state park on the far NW corner of the continental United States. Two harbors are available for visitors to anchor in and popular activities include fishing, crabbing, hiking, or checking out the nearby Turn Point Light Station. Campers are welcome to utilize the park’s 18 campsites, 4 of which are reserved for sailboat or kayak users exclusively.
Stuart Island has been a Coast Salish homeland since time immemorial and is known to have been the site of a permanent Saanich Tribe village. The island’s first Euro-American settler was a German immigrant named Bernard Mordhost who lived as a fisherman on the island. Mordhost's descendants sold their land to the state of Washington in 1952, making this state park possible.
The state park only occupies part of the island; other areas are in private hands or are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Turn Point Light station was constructed in 1893 and is still in service, but operates automatically. The light station is operated by the Bureau of Land Management's San Juan Islands National Monument and visitors can take tours of the lighthouse and Keepers House in the summer.
Stuart Island has been a Coast Salish homeland since time immemorial and is known to have been the site of a permanent Saanich Tribe village. The island’s first Euro-American settler was a German immigrant named Bernard Mordhost who lived as a fisherman on the island. Mordhost's descendants sold their land to the state of Washington in 1952, making this state park possible.
The state park only occupies part of the island; other areas are in private hands or are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Turn Point Light station was constructed in 1893 and is still in service, but operates automatically. The light station is operated by the Bureau of Land Management's San Juan Islands National Monument and visitors can take tours of the lighthouse and Keepers House in the summer.