Blind Island State Park
| Blind Island State Park | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
  Location in the state of Washington | |
| Location | San Juan County, Washington, United States |
| Nearest city | Anacortes, Washington |
| Coordinates | 48°35′05″N 122°56′13″W / 48.58472°N 122.93694°WCoordinates: 48°35′05″N 122°56′13″W / 48.58472°N 122.93694°W[1] |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Elevation | 26 ft (7.9 m)[1] |
| Designation | Washington marine state park |
| Established | 1970 |
| Administrator | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
| Website | Blind Island State Park |
Blind Island State Park is a public recreation area consisting of three-acre (1.2 ha) Blind Island in San Juan County, Washington.[2] The island lies off Shaw Island near the entrance to Blind Bay and is part of San Juan Islands National Monument.[3][4] It has about 1,280 feet (390 m) of saltwater shoreline and is part of the Cascadia Marine Trail, with all campsites restricted to visitors arriving in non-motorized watercraft. It became a state park in 1970 under lease from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and is cooperatively managed by the BLM and Washington State Parks.[2][4]
In the early 1900s, a man named John Fox[citation needed] built a small house and storage sheds on Blind Island. Fox was an immigrant from Germany, where he had made his living as a fisherman. After his divorce from Katherine Fox Dickman, he moved to the island where he lived as a fisherman and tilled a small garden spot, evidence of which still remains today. Fox was joined by his son, also named John Fox, after World War I.[citation needed] Fox dug several holes into the rock, evidently to be used as cisterns. The elder Fox is buried on the island.[citation needed] There is a small spring, around which a concrete retainer was built that is still in place.[5] The water is unsafe to drink.[6] All buildings were removed in 1972 due to their unsafe conditions.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Blind Island". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ^ a b "Blind Island State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
- ^ "San Juan Islands National Monument" (PDF). Bureau of Land Management Spokane District Office. 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ a b "Blind Island". Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ "Blind Island State Park". Washington Water Trails Association. March 5, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ Mueller, Marge & Ted (2004). Washington State Parks (Third ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers Books. p. 117. ISBN 0-89886-893-9. Retrieved January 18, 2019.CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)
- ^ "San Juan Marine State Park Area Management Plan". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. February 14, 2000. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Blind Island State Park. |
- Blind Island State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- Map: Blind Island, San Juan Islands National Monument U.S. Department of the Interior
