Cama Beach State Park

The Cama Beach State Park cottages, viewed from a boat just offshore. The boathouse is to the right. © 2008 Russell Sparkman

When did the family vacation become a production? When did it turn into a credit-card charged exercise in conspicuous consumption that generally leaves you exhausted, broke and in need of another vacation? And, when did it become mandatory for a child's imagination to be ignighted only through a video screen?

Look out at sunset across the simple beach cabins of Washington's newest state park, Cama Beach State Park, and you might feel yourself transported back to a time before those questions needed asking. Bring your family to the park and all of you might find that imagination isn't battery powered, email is not a life force and those people that live under the same roof with you are a pretty good bunch, after all.

Camano Island's Cama Beach State Park is the re-birth of a family fishing resort that opened in the 1930's and provided happy memories for countless families until 1989 when changing vacation patterns forced it to close.

As a state park the resort has undergone an historically faithful and environmentally sensitive face lift that gives families the chance to spend a few days together on the waters of Puget Sound enjoying the simple pleasures similar to what their parents or grand parents might have enjoyed years ago.

Elizabeth Kennedy, a school teacher from Everett, her children, her mother and her grandmother were part of an extended family among the rejuvenated park's early visitors. She explained that, "I was five when my family first came here to Cama Beach." Among her first memories were, "being liberated and very free" to run around with relatives and other children in the cabins. Her mother, Kathryn Requa says "I think that its a confidence builder for the kids." She added, "When I brought my kids here they got to explore and find their own way and their own freedom up here ... and now I'm watching the grand children do the same thing."

Cama Beach was home to sisters Karen Risk Hamalainen (L) and Sandra Risk Worthington (R) when they were growing up. As adults, they wanted it to remain in public use. Over the course of 18 years, working together with family members, state officials, tribe officials and numerous volunteers they helped to create Washington's newest State Park. © 2008 Russell Sparkman

Sisters Karen Risk Hamalainen and Sandra Risk Worthington, know all about being children at the park. It was their home. Their grandfather built it and they later helped their parents run it. Unlike owners of similar resorts which dotted the sound, closed and became sites for homes or condos, the sisters and other family members wanted to find a way for the public to again enjoy coming here. Says Karen, "I guess in the American sense I had the right to sell it, but in some real moral bigger picture way that I really had responsibilities." Sandra adds, "If you make it, you know, condominiums, you'd have a few people who are going to have gorgeous pieces of land to enjoy, we wanted to have it open to the public.

The family sold the property to the state park's department for a fraction of its value and agreed to use much of the money to help refurbish the property.

Karen hopes the park will be much more than just a get-away, she wants it to be, "a teaching place." Toward that end Tina Dinzel Peterson, Interpretive specialist for this park and the adjacent Camano Island State Park works to find ways for the visitor to, "understand and connect to the place" both historically and environmentally. Sessions are geared to the entire family and include nature talks, beach walks and activities reminiscent of rural life in the area nearly a hundred years ago. Start planning your 2010 visit now.

Handbuilt canoes during various stages of production on display at the Center for Wooden Boats facility at Cama Beach State Park. © Roseann Alspektor

The Center for Wooden Boats is a highlight of the park. It's a hands-on museum which visitors can explore the Sound's maritime heritage

The history of the beach as a summer get-away starts long before the resort. Archeological evidence shows that Native Americans used the beach during the summer to fish, and gather berries. Plans are in the works for an interpretive center where visitors can learn about the area's ancient heritage.

The park features a mile long beach where children can explore, swim and just run around and be children. Two rows of simple cabins, most originally built in the 1930's face the water and are only steps from the beach. The cabins have been refurbished; the wood stove has been removed and a microwave oven added. They're better insulated than they were originally and other subtle environmentally friendly additions made.

A refurbished general store is also open and plans are for a meeting center perfect for those brain-storming and bonding sessions that many companies find valuable. Another change is that the original resort was only a summer-time escape. The park will be open year-round.

Cama Beach is popular with families. Some families are multigenerational visitors, whose grandparents first came to Cama Beach as children themselves. © Roseann Alspektor

One thing visitors won't find is private automobiles. Instead, people park nearby and are shuttled to their cabins, giving guests the chance to trade the convenience of on-site parking for the quiet of nature dominated by by the waves along Saratoga Passage. If you need a quick response to a question or wish to make a reservation please call 360-387-1550 and the reservation staff will help you. Visit their Website for photos of the interior of the cabins.

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Whidbey and Camano Islands are only 25 miles north of Seattle, and 2 hours south of Vancouver. See Directions and Maps to learn more about how to get here.