Cama Beach State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cama Beach Historical State Park |
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 Cama Beach Historical State Park
Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Island County, Washington, United States |
| Nearest city | Stanwood, Washington |
| Area | 486 acres (197 ha) |
| Elevation | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Designation | Washington historical state park |
| Established | 1934-1989 |
| Administrator | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
| Website | Cama Beach Historical State Park |
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Cama Beach Resort
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Cama Beach Resort, October 2013
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| Nearest city | Stanwood, Washington |
| Area | 38.3 acres (15.5 ha) |
| Built | 1934 |
| Architectural style | Bungalow/craftsman |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000505 |
| Added to NRHP | May 15, 2001 |
Cama Beach State Park is a fun place for outdoor activities in Washington. It's located on the southwest side of Camano Island, right by the water called Saratoga Passage. This state park keeps alive the history of an old fishing resort from the 1930s. The resort has been fixed up and made modern for visitors today.
History of Cama Beach
For thousands of years, Native American people lived and worked along the shores of what is now Cama Beach. In the early 2000s, old items and signs of their presence were found here. These discoveries were carefully handled to make sure the state park could still be created.
In 1934, a man named LeRoy Stradley opened a fishing resort. It had about two dozen cabins that people could rent for their vacations. They were not very expensive. After LeRoy passed away, his family kept running the Cama Beach Resort. Many other resorts on Camano Island opened and closed, but Cama Beach stayed open until 1989.
When the resort closed, LeRoy's granddaughters sold it to the state of Washington. The buildings were old and needed repairs. The family sold the resort for much less than it was worth. They even used some of the money they earned to help fix up the property.
Things to Do at Cama Beach
Cama Beach State Park offers many cool activities for visitors. You can go boating, crabbing, or even scuba diving in the water. Fishing and swimming are also popular here.
If you like to explore, there are 15 miles of trails for hiking. You can also watch for different kinds of wildlife. The park even has areas for playing horseshoes.
A special trail, about a mile long, connects Cama Beach State Park to Camano Island State Park. This means you can easily visit both parks.
If you want to stay overnight, Cama Beach has two bungalows and 24 cabins right on the waterfront. These cabins are made of cedar wood.
The Center for Wooden Boats is also at Cama Beach. They run the old boathouse and shop. You can rent boats from them, including some that were used when the resort was first open. They also teach classes on sailing and boat building for both kids and adults. Plus, you can rent gear for crabbing!
