Blind Island Marine State Park is a public recreation area consisting of the entirety of Blind Island, an island of less than 3 acres (1.2 ha) at the entrance to Shaw Island's Blind Bay in San Juan County, Washington.[3] The island lies one-third of a mile west of the Shaw Island ferry terminal and has 1,280 feet (390 m) of saltwater shoreline.[4] The park is cooperatively managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Washington State Parks and is part of the San Juan Islands National Monument.[5][6]
History
In the late 1800s, a man named John Fox homesteaded the island and built a small house and storage sheds.[2] Fox was an immigrant from Germany, where he had made his living as a fisherman.[citation needed] After his divorce from Katherine Fox Dickman,[citation needed] he moved to the island where he lived as a fisherman and tilled a small garden spot, evidence of which still remains today. He died in 1934 at the age of 83 and was buried on Blind Island.[7] Fox's son, also named John, lived alone on the island until the mid-1960s when he was moved to a nursing home.[7] He died in Oak Harbor, Washington in 1971.[7] The Foxes dug several holes into the rock, evidently to be used as cisterns. There is a small spring, around which a concrete retainer was built that is still in place.[8] There is no potable water on the island.[3]
The island became a state park in 1970 under lease from the BLM.[2] All buildings were removed in 1972 due to their unsafe condition.[4]
Activities and amenities
As a stop on the Cascadia Marine Trail, the island's campsites are restricted to visitors arriving in non-motorized watercraft.[8] Activities include observing the abundant wildlife and the frequent passing of ferries.[3][9]
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