Cama Beach State Park

Cama Beach Historical State Park
Location in the state of Washington Show map of Washington (state) Cama Beach State Park (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Island County, Washington, United States
Nearest city	Stanwood, Washington
Coordinates	48°08′32″N122°30′49″W / 48.14222°N 122.51361°W / 48.14222; -122.51361 [1]
Area	486 acres (197 ha)
Elevation	82 ft (25 m) [1]
Established	1934-1989 [2]
Administered by	Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Website	Official website
Cama Beach Resort
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Cama Beach Resort, October 2013
Nearest city	Stanwood, Washington
Area	38.3 acres (15.5 ha)
Built	1934 (1934)
Architectural style	Bungalow/craftsman
NRHP reference No.	01000505
Added to NRHP	May 15, 2001

Cama Beach Historical State Park is a public recreation area facing Saratoga Passage on the southwest shore of Camano Island in Island County, Washington. The state park preserves the site of a renovated, modernized 1930s-era auto court and fishing resort.

History

The archaeological record shows that Native Americans were active along the shoreline now known as Cama Beach for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. ^[3] The discovery of human remains and artefacts in the early 21st century threatened to scuttle the creation of a state park at the site. ^[4] In 1934, LeRoy Stradley opened a fishing resort with some two dozen cabins that could be rented by vacationers at a modest cost. After his death four years later, as many other Camano Island resort properties came and went, Stradley's family continued to operate Cama Beach Resort until 1989. ^[5] Once closed, Stradley's granddaughters sold the resort, which had fallen into disrepair, ^[6] to the state of Washington at a fraction of its estimated worth, ^[4] contributing some of their earnings to the property's rehabilitation. ^[3]

The state park's 33 cabins closed on February 26, 2024, due to issues with its septic system. The Washington State Parks Commission then proposed a permanent closure of the cabins due to the cost of repairing the septic system and the site's sensitive history. ^[7] The full closure of the cabins was approved in October 2024 due to the need for a strengthened seawall to protect the area from future king tides and coastal erosion. ^[8]

Activities and amenities

Park activities include boating, crabbing, scuba diving, fishing, swimming, hiking on 15 miles of trails, wildlife viewing, and horseshoes. ^[2] A mile-long trail connects the park with Camano Island State Park. The Center for Wooden Boats operates the historic boathouse and shop, offering boat rentals (including boats from the site's days as a fishing resort), youth and adult sailing and boat building classes, and crabbing gear rentals. ^{[9] [A]}

Notes

1. Overnight accommodations at Cama Beach previously included two bungalows and 24 waterfront cedar cabins. ^[10]

References

1. "Cama Beach". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
2. "Cama Beach Historical State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
3. True, Kathryn (June 12, 2008). "Launching a new era at Cama Beach State Park". Seattle Times. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
4. Riddle, Margaret (November 16, 2008). "Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island officially opens on June 21, 2008". The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
5. Lentz, Florence K. (November 1999). "Cama Beach Resort". National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
6. Lentz, Florence K. (November 1999). "Photos: Cama Beach Resort". National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. National Park Service. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
7. Hansen, Jordan (July 18, 2024). "State commission weighs permanent closure of Cama Beach cabins". The Everett Herald. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
8. Scruggs, Gregory (October 10, 2024). "WA State Parks won't reopen Cama Beach cabins". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
9. "Center for Wooden Boats at Cama Beach". Center for Wooden Boats. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
10. "Cama Beach Cabins". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 20, 2016.

External links

• Cama Beach Historical State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
• Cama Beach Historical State Park Map Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission