JONES ISLAND MARINE STATE PARK
Jones Island State park is a 188-acre marine camping park with 25,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on the San Jaun channel. The park features a beautiful loop trail down the center of the island then around the western shore. A herd of black-tail deer live on the island. The deer have become habituated to the presence of humans and are quite tame. Visitors often feed the deer resulting in their becoming dependent on handouts of unnatural foods and potentially dangerous interactions between wild animals and humans.
Jones Island was named by the Wilkes Expedition in 1841 in honor of Captain Jacob Jones, U.S. Navy. Jones, while master commandant of the sloop-of-war Wasp, captured the British brig Frolic on Oct. 18, 1812. The park was acquired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1983.
A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to Washington state parks for day use. For more information about the Discover Pass and exemptions, please visit the
Discover Pass web page.
The park has 24 primitive campsites which are on a first come first serve basis. Two of the sites are part of the Cascadia Marine Trail and strictly reserved for those arriving by human- or wind-powered watercraft. Drinking water is available May through September. The park has six composting toilets. There is no garbage service to the park. Visitors must pack-out what they pack-in.
Two group camp areas may be reserved nine months in advance online or by calling 888-226-7688.
Located in San Juan County on Puget Sound, Jones Island provides seven mooring buoys and 128 linear feet of dock moorage at the North Cove. The removal of the moorage dock at North Cove begins in October and installation begins at the end of March. All floats will be installed no later than May 1. Mooring buoys remain in place year-round.
Anchorage is good at both the North and South Coves, but boaters are exposed to continuous boat wakes due to heave boat traffic during summer months. There are no good anchorage sites on the east or west side of the island.
During periods of high atmospheric pressure, strong northerly winds may develop causing rough water conditions at the North Cove moorage area. During low atmospheric conditions, the South Cove may be subjected to strong southerly wind.
There is a marked reef at the northeast entrance to North Cove and several unmarked, but charted rocks along the southeastern shore. Mariners should consult their charts in these areas.
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