Shaw Island

The least visited of the ferry-served islands, Shaw Island (pop. 200) is primarily residential and remains essentially undeveloped, with second-growth forests covering most of the land. No trespassing signs limit access to all but a few beaches. You won't find any B&Bs, cottage industries, or bike rental places on the island, but for campers and day-trippers seeking solitude this can make for the perfect getaway.

By law, the Little Portion Store (360/468-2288) at the ferry landing is the only business allowed. The store itself sells groceries, along with beer, wine, and chocolate for decadence. You can learn more about Shaw on the Shaw Island Association’s website: www.shawislanders.org [1].

Sights and Camping

Shaw Island Historical Museum (360/468-4068) is housed in a small log cabin at the intersection of Blind Bay and Hoffman Cove Roads. It’s open 2–4 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m.–noon Thursday, and 2–4 p.m. Saturday (the same hours as the adjacent library). Out front is a reef-netting fishing boat similar to those still used to fish for salmon in the San Juans. Across the way is the Little Red Schoolhouse, an old one-room grade school on the National Register of Historic Places.

South Beach County Park (a.k.a. Shaw Island County Park, www.co.san-juan.wa.us/parks [2]), two miles south of the ferry landing, has a dozen in-the-trees campsites ($10–12), a picnic area, boat launch, and limited drinking water. There are no showers. There are no other camping or lodging options on Shaw, so advance reservations (360/378-1842; $5 fee) are recommended on summer weekends. The 65-acre park is best known for its long beach, where you'll often find sand dollars. The campground is open year-round.

The University of Washington’s [3] Cedar Rock Biological Preserve is a quiet, off-the-beaten-path place on the south end of Hoffman Cove Road. A trail leads through fields, woods, and past small coves.