Camano Island State Park

Introduction of Camano Island State Park

Camano Island State Park is a 134-acre camping area with a rocky shoreline and beach that stretches for 6,700 feet. During the last ice age, the area was covered by a one-mile-thick ice sheet. With its high “feeder banks” that helped build the beaches, the glacier carved the shape of the island. The park has panoramic views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier. Surf the beach, keep an eye on the boat traffic, or hike the forest loop trails. In the day-use area of the park, there is a large field for ball games.On Camano Island, an 18-hole golf course is located near the park. Camano Island’s first inhabitants were the Kikalos and Snohomish Indians, who used the island as a summer retreat while gathering seafood and berries. It was given the name “Kal-lut-chin,” which means “land jutting into a bay.” The island was renamed after the Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamao. In 1855, the first European settlers arrived on the island and began extensive logging operations. Farmers arrived later and began farming in the area. After the land was designated for use as a park in 1949, nearly 900 volunteers from Stanwood and Camano Island completed the initial development in a single day. In July 1999, the park celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Camano Island State Park Camping

There are 88 tent spaces, five cabins, one dump station, two restrooms, and two showers at the camp. The upward camp loop is preferable for RVs up to 40 feet long. All campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Camano Island State Park Activities

Fishing

Check the Fish and Game regulation booklet and local newspapers for clamming, crabbing, and fishing season dates. NOTE: Due to an unexplained die-off of clams in the Port Susan/Saratoga Passage area, Washington State Parks, in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, has closed the clam season at Camano Island State Park to harvesting during the 2007 clam season. This is a temporary measure to ensure clam population recovery and future recreational harvest.

Picnicking

The Lowell Point Kitchen Shelter, which has a sink, wood stove, and electricity, can accommodate groups of up to 44 people. On request, a generator and a small amount of firewood will be provided. Picnic tables and two large charcoal braziers are available. The picnic shelter at North Beach is first-come, first-served, and can accommodate up to 12 people.

Boating

There are two boat ramps on the property. A daily watercraft launching permit, as well as a daily trailer dump permit, are required. Both can be found at the park. Annual permits can also be purchased at the State Parks Headquarters in Olympia, at regional offices, online, and at parks when staff is present.

Camano Island State Park Location

Island County is fourteen miles southwest of Stanwood, Washington. Take exit #212 off I-5 and merge onto Highway 532 west. Take the left fork three miles west of Stanwood (road is now East Camano Dr. and no longer SR 532). Drive about six miles on East Camano Dr. (At this point, East Camano Dr. bears left and becomes Windermere Dr.). Continue on the main road (which is now Elger Bay Rd). Turn right onto Mountain View at the Elger Bay Grocery, gas station, and café. Travel two miles, then turn left onto Lowell Point Rd after climbing a steep hill. The road will come to an end at the park’s entrance.

Parking

Parking is available

Public Transport

Public Transport is available