Camano Island
Camano Island is a big island situated in Possession Sound, a portion of Puget Sound, placed between Whidbey Island and Snohomish County’s shoreline in Washington’s Island County. The island has been named after the renowned Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamano Moraleja, who explored a significant portion of the Pacific Northwest for the Spanish. Easily accessible from nearby metropolises, Camano Island is a perfect getaway for a day trip or weekend vacation. Visitors can enjoy the various seaside parks, shopping and dining opportunities, fine art galleries, beautiful uncrowded beaches, and magnificent views of Puget Sound.
Geography Of Camano Island
With 52 miles of shoreline, Camano Island has a length of 15.6 miles and a maximum width of 0.75 to 6.6 miles. The island’s northern entrance is approximately 55 miles north of Seattle, while the Davis Slough and Port Susan separate the Camano Island from the mainland of Snohomish County. The island is placed to the south of Skagit Bay and to the east of Saratoga Passage, which in turn separates Camano Island from the bigger Whidbey Island. Two bridges over the Stillaguamish River and Davis Slough carry the State Route 532, which runs from the island’s northern end to the city of Stanwood and links Camano Island with mainland Washington.
The Camano covers a total area of 94.9 square miles, of which 39.8 square miles is occupied by land and 55.2 square miles is covered by water. Some of the significant communities of Camano Island include Utsalady, Buena Vista, Sunset Beach, Lona Beach, Maple Grove Beach, Iverson Beach, Tyee Beach, Terry’s Corner, Madrona Beach, Juniper Beach, Rockaway Beach, Livingston Bay, Tillicum Beach, and Camaloch. In addition, the Island County Government manages 13 local parks on the island, of which the Camano Ridge Park is the largest. Camano Island also supports a variety of resident and migratory birds like herons and bald eagles. During March and April every year, visitors to Camano Island can witness the migration of Pacific gray whales through the Saratoga Passage.
Climate Of Camano Island
According to Köppen Climate Classification, Camano experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, with short, pleasant, dry summers and cold, wet winters. The warm season lasts from June 23 to September 17, where August is the year’s hottest month, having an average temperature ranging between 74°F and 54°F. The cold season lasts from November 14 to February 24, where December is the coldest month, having an average temperature ranging between 38°F and 46°F. Due to its location in the Olympic Mountain’s rain shadow area, Camano Island receives about half of the annual rainfall than the surrounding areas.
History Of Camano Island
Several local groups of Coast Salish Indians, including the Kikiallus, Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, Lower Skagit, and Snohomish, inhabited the island and lived by hunting game animals, eating shellfish, and cultivating berries on the hillsides. The native Snohomish tribe initially named the island “Kal-lut-chin,” which means “land jutting into a bay.” During the 1838-1842 Wilkes Expedition, the American explorer Charles Wilkes named it MacDonough Island after the Irish-American naval Officer Thomas MacDonough. In 1847, when the British Naval Officer Henry Kellett reorganized the official British Admiralty charts, he renamed MacDonough Island as Camano Island in honor of the Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamano Moraleja. However, the water body between Camano and Whidbey Islands, named “Saratoga” by Wilkes, was retained.
In the 1850s, white settlers started settling on the island, and in 1853 Camano was included in the newly-formed Island County. The island was also called “Perry Island” after an 1855 treaty between Isaac Ingalls Stevens – the Governor of Washington Territory, and the local Native Americans. Utsalady served as the first settlement on the island, which later housed several sawmills. At the beginning of the 20th century, the clearing of the island’s old-growth forests due to logging made Camano Island a perfect location for various agricultural practices and for establishing vacation homes. Due to the island’s remote location and proximity to Canadian waters, Camano Island served as a significant transaction point for rumrunners during the Prohibition Era. A new oyster farm set up in 1930 in the Juniper Beach area helped sustain the island during the Great Depression. In 1943, plots belonging to the Puget Mill Company were developed into residential subdivisions, eventually establishing several permanent summer homes.
Population And Economy Of Camano Island
As per the latest US Census, the Camano census-designated place has a population of 17,073 inhabitants with a median age of 54.8. Due to the large number of vacation homes and part-time residents, the population of the island increases during the summer months. The top ethnic groups in Camano include White (Non-Hispanic) at 89.7%, two or more races (Non-Hispanic) at 2.75%, Asian (Non-Hispanic) at 2.38%, White (Hispanic) at 2.24%, and African American (Non-Hispanic) at 0.802%. About 98.2% of Camano’s residents are U.S. citizens, and the average car ownership in Camano is two cars per household.
Camano has a median household income of $85,811 and a median property value of $415,400. The economy of Camano employs about 7440 people in its various industries, including Manufacturing, Retail Trade, and Construction activities.
Attractions In Camano Island
Camano Island State Park
Established in 1949, this 244-acre publicly owned recreation area is located approximately 14 miles southwest of Stanwood on Camano Island. Maintained by Washington State Park System, this park features 6,700 ft of rocky shoreline and beach, offering recreational activities like fishing, crabbing, swimming, diving, camping, and picnicking. In addition, the park also has boat ramps that provide access to Puget Sound, along with a mile-long biking trail and 3 miles of hiking trails. Camano Island State Park has a rich floral and faunal diversity. Various trees, like Douglas fir, alder, seaweed, cedar, rhododendron, etc., are found here. The park's waters are home to shellfish, crabs, perch, trout, sharks, sea cucumber, crustaceans, and eels. Various mammal species like elk, chipmunks, raccoons, otters, coyotes, mule deer, and an array of avian species like bald eagles, herons, hummingbirds, osprey, wrens, gulls, ducks, and many other birds, make their homes in the park.
Cama Beach State Park
This 486-acre public recreation area is located on Camano Island’s southwestern shore facing the Saratoga Passage. The state park offers visitors a chance to stay at a 1930s-era family fishing resort complete with modernized waterfront cabins and bungalows. Both standard and deluxe cabins placed close to the beach provide spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains, Saratoga Passage, and Whidbey Island. Cama Beach State Park also offers recreational activities like boating, scuba diving, hiking, crabbing, fishing, and viewing wildlife. A mile-long trail connects Cama Beach State Park with the Camano Island State Park.
Camano Island has indeed something for everyone. The island offers tourists authentic island experiences, where they can also participate in various outdoor activities. The many annual festivals, including the Port Susan Snow Goose and Birding Festival, Stanwood-Camano Festival of Art and Music, Spring Art Show, and Stanwood Camano Community Fair, attract thousands of visitors for an enjoyable and memorable experience at Camano Island.
