Can you reserve a site at Blind Island?

No. Blind Island is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Blind Island, Washington — sites, fees and cancellation alerts

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.

48.58495, -122.93709 · 48°35'5.8"N 122°56'13.5"W

Directions (Google Maps) · Directions (Apple Maps)

Official map for this area

Typical weather

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High °F	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Low °F	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Precip in	4.1	2.4	2.1	2.0	1.4	0.8	0.6	0.8	1.6	2.6	3.7	3.7

1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 1.6 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.

Map

Fees and stay limits

Washington State Park fees apply.

From Recreation.gov, which is not always current. The operator's own page is the authority on what you will be charged.

Common questions about Blind Island

Can you reserve a site at Blind Island?: No. Blind Island is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.

Camping near Blind Island

Louella Cabin 41.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
American Camp Visitor Center 9.2 mi · Facility
Patos Island 13.7 mi · Facility
Fort Casey State Park 31.9 mi · Facility
San Juan Wilderness 32.8 mi · Facility
Forest Info Center with HQ Administration Building 32.9 mi · Facility
Olympic Coast Discovery Center 39.3 mi · Facility
Olympic National Park Visitor Center 40.4 mi · Facility
Dungeness Forks Campground 42.9 mi · Campground
Lower Dungeness/Gold Creek Trailhead 45.4 mi · Facility
Mt. Baker Highway (SR 542) 49.3 mi · Facility
Hurricane Ridge Visitor Contact Station 49.7 mi · Visitor Center

Contact

Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-07-07.

Blind Island