Camano Island State Park

This beach park has a large, paved parking lot with a sandy walk down to the rocky beach. It was packed with RV’s and lots of cars. The park recently tore down the bathrooms and they are just getting started on rebuilding new bathrooms. For the time being there are portables.
This beach has lots of driftwood and so it is a fun place to hang out, but it should be noted that the beach is made up of rocks about the size of tennis balls, so don’t plan on laying out to work on your tan.

We had reservations for the pet friendly and a regular cabin, side-​by-​side. Let me say this right from the start… we are campers and LOVE rustic but not dirty!
First, you felt the need to Clorox wipe everything down before you touched it. It was our understanding that the previous renters are to sweep and leave the cabin in «good» order. There was so much dirt on the floors and baseboards, every time you opened the door you could see the dust bunnies flying across the floor and feel the grit from the sand under your feet. The mattresses had «stains» on them. The microwave was so rusted out and disgusting, we opted not to use it for safety sake. The refrigerator was ok, however there were big glops of either ketchup or bbq sauce hardened all down the inside of the door and onto the floor. The fire pit ring was completely rusted out and we had to rebuild it using rocks as stabilizers.
OK, so let the fun begin.
The original plan was for our son, daughter-​in-​law, 2 grandsons, and their dog & cat to stay in the pet friendly cabin. No problem… until the first time the wall heater kicked on. The noise it made was so bad we could hear it all the way over at our cabin. No lie! The dog started barking at it and the cat was less than thrilled! The kids couldn’t nap, unless they wanted to freeze without using the heater. And being a Marine family, we adapt and overcome!
So we ended up with the kids and the cat in our cabin the first night. Of course Ranger «Storm Trooper Rick» (not his real name… you know who you are) saw the cat and advised us that there would be an additional $ 75 clean up charge as we were in a non-​pet friendly cabin. OK, only other choice was to lock the cat in the truck and I really wasn’t going to do that and there wasn’t even an opportunity to explain, as he just took off. For future reference Ranger Rick…3 of us were former law enforcement and there really is no need to act all bad and feel like you need to force your authority on people. We didn’t argue with you. We understood. We surely weren’t trying to hide anything. We paid our «fine» as we were guilty as charged!
The rest of the weekend, even without cooperation from Mother Nature, went pretty well. If your the first person in the shower, it can take a while for the hot water to get primed, so take lots of quarters! Otherwise, the restrooms were clean and the showers were good. There was one restroom without a working hand dryer and the lock on the one door was a little fussy, but otherwise, it was all good.
The second night we pitched a tent next to the cabin for the kids and they had a blast!
There was a water spigot right in front of the cabin, so dish washing was easy.
It’s a short drive to the beach, which as other reviewers pointed out, is very rocky, but still fun for exploring and there was a wedding at the facility down by the beach, which was fun to watch and as the winds kicked up in the afternoon we were able to get the kites out.
We did see the Rangers drive around a lot, which made us feel secure.
So, this review gets 2 stars for cabin cleanliness/​condition and 4 – 5 stars for the rest of the amenities in the park. Word of warning, if you have small children be very vigilant watching them as there is a very steep drop off in between 2 of the cabins, I think it was 42 and 43. The inside of our cabin was truly filthy and we definitely left it cleaner th we found it, that’s for sure! For the $ 80 per night, I would think that there would be better checks and balances on how the previous occupants left it.
Fortunately, we took lots of pics of the before and after condition of the cabin, as I did send them to the office with our «fine».

Variety of spots for different budget: basic, economy, and premium. We had spot #7 (P) for $ 35 (two tents and 2 cars) and it was enclosed with trees so very private. Showers were 25 cents for 45 seconds just so you’re prepared. The bathrooms and showers had obviously been cleaned because I could smell the bleach and didn’t feel like I needed to bleach myself after using the facilities.
The beach is NOT sandy and the rocks have a lot of barnacles so be prepared to need sandals. The hill down to the water is extreme but I’d recommend finding the trailhead near campsite 5 because it is epic and the stairs are well maintained with metal sheets so that in the case of rain you don’t fall down 200 feet on your face.
The only reason I didn’t suggest five stars is because of one park ranger whose two interactions with us were incredibly rude and he is abusing his small ability to affect other people’s enjoyment. The other park ranger was so friendly and professional that I wish I could recommend him for some sort of perquisite or bonus. He had a wonderful beard too.
All in all a very good place to relax! Check out the sunset!

Camano Island State Park and neighboring Cama Beach State Park have indoor and outdoor wedding venues: a lodge that accommodates over 100 guests, a boathouse, beachside ceremonial sites, and forest lawn grotto.

Neighboring mountain views and sun-​dappled waters await you here at this lovely 134-​acre camping park with over 6,500 feet of beach and shoreline. You can hike, picnic, harvest some shellfish, watch the boats, climb on the driftwood, or just relax in one of their cabin rentals.
Rates vary throughout the year, check their official website for the price breakdown and rules. I think if I remember correctly, the highest rate was $ 70 per night plus tax. One of the cabins is also ADA accessible and another is pet-​friendly with an additional nightly fee.
The beach is lengthy and I felt there was ample parking. Every time we’ve visited, we have always found a spot and never felt crowded by other visitors. The park is open year-​round until dusk but don’t forget that you will need a Discover Pass to take your vehicle to the parks for day use.

This place is beautiful. There really is no other way to describe it. It is not overly crowded and there are many trails and the beach as well.
They have camping areas that I would love to check out at a later time. We did one of the walking trails and it was short but still very pretty.
I would highly recommend checking this place out. They seem to maintain it and take some pride in it.

This review is for the «Day Use» portion only.
If you live in the area, I’m sure this park is fine, but it’s not worth the drive from Seattle (or more than 15 minutes).
Cons– limited beach access, no play structures for children, and few walking trails. Bathrooms are «flushing», not composting, but somehow smell just as bad. Dogs on leash only– even on beach area.
Pro’s– there are quite a few picnic tables and a nice view.
Although I did not stay in the waterfront cabins, those definitely have a great view and are maybe 20 feet from the water. They are rustic and would come back to check those out. This review’s stars (or lack thereof) did not include the cabins.
If you’re in the area — try English Boom. It’s small too but lots of beach and a nice walking path.

Beautiful state park on the beach!
Stunning views of the mountains across the water. The beach is long and has a lot of driftwood which I love. There wasn’t anyone else here when my BF and I showed up. We loved it.
Huge parking lot.
Cabins available to rent here. Will have to try one of those out next summer.

A must see place! The views of the Olympic Mountain range from many of the bluffs are breath taking.
The beaches are welcoming as well as having some of the best maintained trails I’ve been on.
You can tell how much this community loves this place.
Family fun and friendly campaign; tent, cabin, or RV.

It’s a beautiful park with so much wildlife. It was a great place to bring our kids camping! The cabins were equipped with information sheets to identify local wildlife, the kids loved it. We saw an owl, rabbits, deer, a variety of birds, starfish, crabs, barnacles, mussels, snails, all kinds of edible berries…
The cabins are modest, but nice. They have a bunk bed and a pull out futon bed. They do not have running water, but have a mini refrigerator and microwave. With the rainy weather, a microwave can really come in handy! They also have heat! I never thought we would need it in early July, but we did and were grateful to have it.
Next time we’ll wait until later in the season to go, we were so cold! The weather didn’t seem to surprise the other campers but we were totally unprepared for it to be 50 degrees and rainy in July!

This is hands down one of my favorite places near Seattle that I’ve discovered yet. Luckily I just ran across it when I was trying to escape the noise and hustle of the city. It’s a bit far off of I-​5, but sooo worth the drive. It’s peaceful and beautiful. I’ve yet to run across any large crowds, probably because it is such a far drive, and everyone that I do run across is extremely friendly.
They have a few trails running through the woods with several viewpoints of the sound. They aren’t particularly difficult, but they are enjoyable. The trails are well groomed but a bit muddy if there has been a lot of rain recently. I’ve read that you can also spot bald eagles in this area too.
They have beautiful beaches that extend for quite a ways along the sound. They are rocky though, so make sure that you have decent shoes on!
If you don’t mind the hour drive up from the city, I suggest you give it a shot. They allow camping too for those of you that are camping enthusiast.

Pirates, giant clams & crabs, killer whales waiting for a human to put there toe in the water — STAY AWAY!
(awesome park but stay away so I can rent a cabin this summer!)

A relatively easy drive down from Vancouver, BC, the park is about 30 minutes west of the I-​5. Camano Beach State Park is also RIGHT BESIDE Cama Beach State Park. Sounds similar, but different.
The turn to get down to one is just a minute down the road from the other.
We booked one of the cabins, and it exceeded expectations. For about $ 60 a night it will get you a cabin with a bunk bed with double bottom, pull out double bed, fridge, table with four chairs, microwave, and it’s heated! Plus in front of each cabin is a picnic table with a fire pit.
There are lots of little trails and hills for kids to run through and is a quiet place — eerily quiet to be quite honest. The shower/​bathroom facility is the cleanest campsite facility of it’s type I’ve seen, with four bathrooms and two showers in one building (.25 for three minutes in the shower with a minimum .50 to get started — it takes quarters).
If you’re looking for a sandy beach, you’ll be disappointed. This isn’t the place to come, but it’s a fun place to be and spend a few days.
Plus the park ranger office was super helpful with whatever questions we had!

I found this place through a website that listed dog friendly hikes. I decided to come here when we had some awesome weather!
There were signs at different locations that dogs must be on leash.
My dog and I went to the beach first. It was a bit too rocky for me. My dog wanted to taste every rock.sigh. At least, she responds to the“leave it” command most of the time! The view of the Olympic mountains was beautiful!
The park bulletin board shows where the trails however, the trails are not clearly marked. I wasn’t worried. the park wasn’t that big. The trails were narrow and challenging!
Be sure to wear good hiking shoes, poop bags, and bottles of water!

Awesome park, easy camping, nice place to get some clams. Love it.
Best memory? Friends band played a show in Stanwood and the future hub and I had planned to go see and then go camp overnight with all the guys that night. The night before we «became more then friends» in a totally unplanned event that started with seeing another friends band and culminated in a 7 hour make out session and telling the friend who was to come with us to Stanwood that three’s a crowd after all.
Since I felt the need to apply the three date rule, even though we didn’t seem to be leaving each others side (and haven’t since) and had been hanging out plantonically for about three months — the camping trip was not going to be a get busy in the bushes event — much to the future hubs chagrin…
No worries though — as we sat by the fire and roasted things, listened to one of the best sets of lady lungs on the planet sing, and generally enjoyed ourselves — we noticed a ruckus at the next site over. It became obvious that our young neighbors had chosen to indulge in hallucinogenics for the evening. Splendid! Better than the best of reality TV. I won’t go into too much detail, but suffice it to say that there was a fight between the tripping young lovers involved which gave us our very favorite catch phrase ever:
High on Acid Girl: «Fuck You! I’m walking home!»
High on Acid Guy: «Fine! That’s what you always do anyway! Walk away Walkawayer!»
Walk away Walkawayer.

We luv this State Park. While we haven’t stayed over night in the camping area, we frequently visit during the clam digging season.
Back in the day our family would spend the day up here and the cousins would build driftwood forts and huts all day long. Along with collecting seashell and colorful rocks I have many fond memories of this place.
Plenty of parking, nice clean toilets are available they actually flush!!! No sani-​cans here! Plenty of fire pits and bbq stalls and picnic tables to share amongst the Summer crowds.
There is a boat launch as well and FYI, mind your driving speed once you get into the park, plenty of little ones and campers to watch out for!

I love Camano Island for getting away from the city and relaxing. The island is pretty small and there isnt much ‘to do’. We often will pack a lunch and play on the beach. There is a $ 5 parking fee in all State parks and this one is no exception.