Cama Beach State Park

Cama Beach State Park
Washington State Park
Country United States
State Washington
County Island
Elevation 82 ft (25 m) [1]
Coordinates 48°08′32″N 122°30′49″W / 48.14222°N 122.51361°W / 48.14222; -122.51361Coordinates: 48°08′32″N 122°30′49″W / 48.14222°N 122.51361°W / 48.14222; -122.51361 [1]
Area 433 acres (175 ha)
Resort 1934-1989 [2]
 - State acquisition 1994
 - State park opened 2008 [3]
Management Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Location in the state of Washington
Website: Cama Beach State Park
Cama Beach Resort

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 # 01000505[4]
Added to NRHP May 15, 2001

Cama Beach State Park is a Washington state park facing Saratoga Passage on the southwest shore of Camano Island in Island County, preserving the site of a renovated and 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.[5] The discovery of human remains and artifacts in the early 21st century threatened to scuttle the creation of a state park at the site.[3] In 1934, LeRoy Stradley opened a fishing resort with some two dozen cabins that could be rented by vacationers at 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.[6] Once closed, Stradley's granddaughters sold the resort, which had fallen into disrepair,[7] to the state of Washington at a fraction of its estimated worth,[3] contributing some of their earnings to the property's rehabilitation.[5]

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. Overnight accommodations at Cama Beach include two bungalows and 24 waterfront cedar cabins.[8] 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]

References

  1. 1 2 "Cama Beach". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. 1 2 "Cama Beach Historical State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 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.
  4. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  5. 1 2 True, Kathryn (June 12, 2008). "Launching a new era at Cama Beach State Park". Seattle Times. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  6. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form" (PDF). National Park Service. May 15, 2001. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Photos" (PDF). National Park Service. May 15, 2001. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Cama Beach Cabins". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Center for Wooden Boats at Cama Beach". Center for Wooden Boats. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
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