Camano Island
Understand
Camano Island (pron.: /kəˈmeɪnoʊ/) is a large island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage.
Camano Island is named for the Spanish explorer Jacinto Caamaño. Charles Wilkes, during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838-1842, named it MacDonough Island in honor of Thomas MacDonough for his victory of the Battle of Lake Champlain during the War of 1812. Following this theme, Wilkes named the body of water between Camano and Whidbey Island after MacDonough's flagship the Saratoga. When Henry Kellett reorganized the official British Admiralty charts in 1847, he removed Wilkes' name MacDonough and bestowed the name Camano, which the Spanish had originally given to Admiralty Inlet in 1790. Wilkes' name Saratoga Passage was retained.
Get in
By car
Camano Island is separated from mainland Snohomish County by Davis Slough near the city of Stanwood. The island is reached via State Route 532 over the Camano Gateway Bridge in the northeast of the island.
Get around
See
- Camano Island State Park
- Hope Island State Park. near Camano Island, this 200-acre marine park in Skagit Bay. The park offers several campsites, attractive beaches and a trail across the island. The island is forested with occasional meadows and rock outcroppings. The island is a natural area preserve to protect a rare Puget Sound ecosystem and accessible only both boat. 1.5 miles southeast of Hoypus Point, about two miles east then southeast on Cornet Bay boat launch.
- Skagit Island. Skagit Island State Park is a 24-acre marine camping park in Skagit Bay near Camano Island and is accessible only by boat. The island is forested with occasional meadows, rock outcroppings, attractive beaches and a land trail and has 2 mooring buoys.
Do
Events
- The Port Susan Snow Goose & Birding Festival (Feb)
- The Camano Island Mother's Day Art Studio Tour (May)
- The Spring Art Show (June)
- Art by the Bay, The Stanwood-Camano Festival of Art and Music (July)
- The Stanwood Camano Community Fair (August)
- The Harvest Jubilee (Sept)
- The AAUW Art for Education Show (October)
- The Stanwood-Camano Chili & Chowder Cookoff (November)
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
- Camano Island State Park. There is camping on a first-come, first-served basis. Different campsites have different prices; campsites with a really good view of the water are more expensive.