San Juan Island

National Historic Site

From Wikipedia:

The park is made up of the sites of the British and U.S. Army camps during the Pig War, a boundary dispute over the ownership of the island. The camp sites were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961,[ and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The park was created by an act of Congress in 1966 and expanded slightly in 2013.

The park encompasses 2,146 acres, divided between two sites American Camp on the south end of San Juan Island and English Camp on northwest side of the island. Entry to both areas is free, and both include visitor centers. American Camp has three mapped hiking trails, including one to the summit of Mount Finlayson. English Camp includes the Bell Point Trail, Young Hill Trail and Mitchell Hill Trail Network. American Camp includes South Beach on the Strait of Juan De Fuca, with views of the Olympic Mountains, and 4th of July Beach on Griffin Bay.[12] Both English and American Camps have kayak launches.

The American Camp prairie is home to the world's only viable population of the island marble butterfly (Euchloe ausonides insulana). The butterfly was thought to be extinct for 90 years before being rediscovered in 1998, and was listed as endangered in 2020. Bird species commonly spotted at American Camp include bald eagle, Harrier (bird), Harlequin duck, American goldfinch, Great horned owl and Osprey. Foxes are commonly spotted, especially on the American Camp prairie, where they prey on rabbits. Orca, humpback, and gray whale can be spotted on occasion from both parks.

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