Stuart Island Marine State Park

Stuart Island Marine State Park: Remote San Juan Islands Marine Camping Paradise with Dual Harbor Access

Stuart Island Marine State Park offers visitors an extraordinary 433-acre marine wilderness experience on the westernmost camping destination of the Cascadia Marine Trail, featuring dual harbor access at Reid and Prevost harbors with comprehensive moorage facilities and primitive camping opportunities. This remote San Juan County treasure combines 33,030 feet of pristine saltwater shoreline with 3.5 miles of hiking trails, creating an authentic island camping experience accessible only by watercraft and preserving the traditional Coast Salish homeland that has supported human habitation since time immemorial.

Stuart Island Marine State Park Fast Facts

Park Overview

Stuart Island Marine State Park preserves a remarkable marine wilderness environment where Coast Salish peoples established permanent villages and sustained communities for thousands of years before German immigrant Bernard Mordhost became the island’s first Euro-American settler as a fisherman in the late 1800s. The park’s distinctive character emerges from its dual harbor system, where Reid Harbor provides access to Cascadia Marine Trail campsites reserved exclusively for human and wind-powered watercraft users, while Prevost Harbor offers additional moorage and camping for all boaters seeking remote island experiences. This unique marine destination connects visitors to both the natural beauty of San Juan Islands waters and the rich cultural history of Indigenous peoples who called this island home across countless generations.

Located northwest of San Juan Island with no road access, Stuart Island Marine State Park serves adventurous boaters and paddlers seeking authentic marine camping experiences away from mainland crowds. The park’s integration with nearby Bureau of Land Management sites, including the historic Turn Point Light Station dating to 1893, creates opportunities for extended exploration while the island’s private property areas maintain the diverse land use patterns that have characterized Stuart Island throughout its modern history.

Activities & Recreation

Facilities & Amenities

Stuart Island Marine State Park provides comprehensive marine facilities including 20 mooring buoys distributed between Reid Harbor (13 buoys) and Prevost Harbor (7 buoys), plus 448 feet of dock space with Reid Harbor offering 192 feet and Prevost Harbor providing 256 feet of moorage. The park features composting toilets located near both harbor docks, a pumpout station accessible to vessels up to 60 feet in length, and portable toilet dump station services at Reid Harbor. Seasonal drinking water is available from May 15 through September 4, while year-round moorage fees apply from 1 p.m. to 8 a.m. with mandatory registration and payment upon arrival for all boaters including those rafted to other vessels.

Camping & Accommodations

Stuart Island Marine State Park offers 18 primitive campsites operating on a first-come, first-served basis, with sites 15-18 at Reid Harbor designated exclusively for Cascadia Marine Trail users arriving by human or wind-powered watercraft. The remaining 14 campsites accommodate all boaters, with most sites located on Prevost Harbor or the ridge separating the two harbors. Camping facilities include composting toilets near both harbors, fire rings where permitted, and access to seasonal drinking water during peak months. The park operates year-round camping with no reservations accepted, requiring boaters to secure both moorage and camping upon arrival while respecting private property boundaries throughout the island.

Planning Your Visit

Stuart Island Marine State Park operates as a marine-access-only destination requiring careful planning for tidal conditions, weather patterns, and supply needs since no services exist on the remote island location. Boaters should time arrivals and departures with favorable tides, particularly when accessing Reid Harbor’s narrow entrance, and prepare for potential strong currents around nearby Spieden Island where landing is prohibited. Seasonal drinking water availability from mid-May through early September means visitors must bring adequate water supplies during other months, while the park’s remote location requires comprehensive provisioning for extended stays. Moorage fees apply year-round with mandatory registration, and visitors should respect private property boundaries while exploring the island’s diverse ownership patterns.

What to Bring & Know

• Complete camping and cooking supplies, as no services or stores exist on the remote island location
• Adequate fresh water for extended stays, particularly outside the May-September seasonal water availability period
• Marine charts and navigation equipment for safely accessing Reid and Prevost harbors with varying tidal conditions
• Respect for private property boundaries, as the state park occupies only portions of Stuart Island
• Crabbing and clamming gear to take advantage of excellent shellfish harvesting opportunities on gravel beaches

Final Word

Stuart Island Marine State Park delivers an unmatched San Juan Islands marine camping adventure where remote island wilderness, dual harbor access, and rich cultural history create extraordinary memories for boaters seeking authentic Pacific Northwest marine experiences.