Last updated: November 19, 2022
Place
Sucia Island Marine State Park
Quick Facts
MANAGED BY:
Amenities
7 listed
Beach/Water Access, Canoe/Kayak/Small Boat Launch, Dock/Pier, Picnic Table, Primitive Campsites, Trailhead, Water - Drinking/Potable
Sucia Island Marine State Park is widely considered the crown jewel of the marine parks preserved and protected by the Washington State Park system. Visitation to its 814 acres and ten miles of hiking trails is only possible via watercraft, but its two docks and 48 buoys provide ample anchorage all around the island. 39 campsites are available for visitors who want to sleep on this isolated island.
Sucia Island has long been part of the Coast Salish homelands and was first explored by Spanish explore Francisco de Eliza, who gave it its name which means 'dirty' due to its turbulent waters and reefs. Settled in the 1880s by Charles Henry Wiggins and his wife Mary Luzier, a Cowlitz Tribe member, they moved from Waldron Island to more isolated Sucia after their 8 children were forcibly removed by the government and taken to an Indian boarding school. On Sucia, the Wigginses had five more children and built a farm and ranch.
In 1952, the state of Washington acquired part of Sucia Later parcels were donated by preservationist minded private citizens and through future government acquisitions which enabled the entire island to become a state park in 1972.Sucia’s natural history is as old as the dinosaurs. The only known dinosaur bone discovery in Washington State occurred on Sucia Island’s appropriately named Fossil Bay in 2012. The 80 million year-old fossil belonged to the same family of dinosaurs as Tyrannosaurus Rex, meaning that this fearsome predator may once have roamed our region long before the San Juan Islands formed.
Visitors to Sucia Island can enjoy world-class snorkeling, clamming, and crabbing. While there, picnic tables and beaches provide ideal sites for relaxing and enjoying this special place. Visitors are required to pay moorage fees to the Washington State Parks system if they dock their boats during their visit.
Sucia Island has long been part of the Coast Salish homelands and was first explored by Spanish explore Francisco de Eliza, who gave it its name which means 'dirty' due to its turbulent waters and reefs. Settled in the 1880s by Charles Henry Wiggins and his wife Mary Luzier, a Cowlitz Tribe member, they moved from Waldron Island to more isolated Sucia after their 8 children were forcibly removed by the government and taken to an Indian boarding school. On Sucia, the Wigginses had five more children and built a farm and ranch.
In 1952, the state of Washington acquired part of Sucia Later parcels were donated by preservationist minded private citizens and through future government acquisitions which enabled the entire island to become a state park in 1972.Sucia’s natural history is as old as the dinosaurs. The only known dinosaur bone discovery in Washington State occurred on Sucia Island’s appropriately named Fossil Bay in 2012. The 80 million year-old fossil belonged to the same family of dinosaurs as Tyrannosaurus Rex, meaning that this fearsome predator may once have roamed our region long before the San Juan Islands formed.
Visitors to Sucia Island can enjoy world-class snorkeling, clamming, and crabbing. While there, picnic tables and beaches provide ideal sites for relaxing and enjoying this special place. Visitors are required to pay moorage fees to the Washington State Parks system if they dock their boats during their visit.