Park Overview:
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. Jones Island State Park is located one mile west of the southwest tip of Orcas Island in San Juan County.
Campsite Information:
The park has 24 primitive campsites. 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 April through September.The park has two pit toilets and four composting toilets. There is no garbage service to the park. Visitors must pack-out what they pack-in.
Group Accommodations:
The group camping area at the South Orchard area may be reserved by calling (360) 378-2044.
Camping Fees:
Please note that the following general fee information is not customized for each individual park, so not all fees will apply to all parks (for example, primitive campsite and dump station fees listed apply only to parks that have primitive campsites and dump stations).
2010 Fees
Primitive campsite - $12 a night
Maximum eight people per campsite
There are NO VEHICLES on Jones Island
There are NO DUMP STATIONS on Jones Island.
More about park hours
Check-in time is 2:30 p.m., and check-out time is 1 p.m.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
Engine-driven electric generators may be operated only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
Length of stay: You may stay up to ten consecutive days in any one park during the summer; the stay limit is extended to 20 days between Oct. 1 and March 31.
Park hours/updates:
The park is open year round for camping, day use and moorage.
Summer hours: 6:30 a.m. to dusk.
Winter hours: 8 a.m. to dusk.
Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. No generators in use from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Park Features
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. Feed wildlife is prohibited by law in State parks. Violators may be fined and evicted.
Activities within the park include primitive camping, picnicking, hiking, saltwater fishing, and scuba diving.
History
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.
Services/Supplies
None - The nearest fuel and grociers are at Deer Harbor Marina on Orcas Island and Friday Harbor on San Juan Island.
Picnic and Day-use Facilities
Drinking water is available April through September.The park has two pit toilets and four composting toilets.There is no garbage service to the park. Visitors must pack-out what they pack-in
Climate - Washington's climate varies with each region. Jones Island State Park is located in an area "protected" by surrounding ocean waters and mountain ranges. Temperatures are consistently moderate, rarely topping 80 degrees in the summer and rarely falling below 30 degrees in the winter.Annual rainfall averages 29 inches, approximately half that of Seattle. In the summer months, and especially during September and early October, the islands may go for weeks without a cloud in the sky. Snowfalls occur once or twice a year and usually total only one or two inches. Northeast winds may cause temperature extremes.
*Information provided by Washington State Parks
