About this campground
You made it to a designated site along the Cascadia Marine Trail, our Nation's longest recreation water trail! Blind Island is a small, three-acre marine camping park located on the north side of Shaw Island. All of the campsites are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and are for the exclusive use of boaters arriving by human or wind-powered watercraft. Recreational activities include camping, picnicking, non-motorized boating, and wildlife watching. The BLM cooperatively manages the area with Washington State Parks. Know Before You Go Blind Island is open YEAR ROUND with very primitive camping; there is no fresh water available on site. Access can be challenging due to the rocky and shallow landing. On October 7, 2014, San Juan County became the first County in the U.S. designated as a voluntary Leave No Trace Area. Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our public lands! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more. Point of Interest Best access to the island is at a small pocket cove at the southwest side of Blind Island (hint: look for the State Parks and San Juan Islands National Monument logo sign onshore).
Getting there
Blind Island is located west of the Shaw Island ferry dock and one mile south of the Orcas Island ferry dock. There are no kayak launch sites at or near either ferry docks. Boaters should approach the island from the northeast (Shaw Island ferry terminal) to access the four mooring buoys located on the south side of Blind Bay. Note the reef marker 200 yards east of Blind Island. DO NOT approach from the northwest as there is an extensive reef in that area.
Activities
- BOATING
- CAMPING
- FISHING
- HIKING
- PICNICKING
- WILDLIFE VIEWING
- DAY USE AREA
- PHOTOGRAPHY
- PADDLING
- SWIMMING
Nearby federal campgrounds
- Patos IslandBureau of Land Management14 mi
- Fort Casey CampgroundKeystone Harbor32 mi
- LOUELLA CABINOlympic National Forest41 mi
- Dungeness Forks CampgroundOlympic National Forest43 mi
- Mt. Baker Highway (SR 542)Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest49 mi
- Douglas Fir CampgroundMt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest52 mi
Chasing a California trip?
We watch every California State Park around the clock and alert you the moment a sold-out campsite opens up. Recreation.gov alerts are on the roadmap.
Browse California State Parks →Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.