Stuart Island is one of the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands is an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

, north of San Juan Island and west of Waldron Island in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

of Washington. The island is home to two communities of full and part-time residents, a state park, a one-room schoolhouse, and two

airstrip An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

History

Stuart Island was named by

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...

during the Wilkes Expedition of 1838–42, to honor Frederick D. Stuart, the

captain's clerk A captain's clerk was a naval rating, rating, now obsolete, in the Royal Navy and the United States Navy for a person employed by the Captain (nautical), captain to keep his Document, records, communication, correspondence, and Account (accountanc ...

of the expedition. Prevost Harbor is named for James Charles Prevost, captain of . Nearby Prevost Island in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

is also named after Prevost, while Satellite Island is named after his ship.

Arts and culture

Parks and recreation

Two sites, both part of Stuart Island State Park, are on

public land In all modern states, a portion of land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land, state land, or Crown land (Commonwealth realms). The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries. ...

s. One is located near the center of the island, and another is on the western coast, the site of the Turn Point Light Station, a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

guiding shipping in the busy waters of Boundary Pass to the island's north. Turn Point Light Station is on land administered by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

's Spokane District, Wenatchee Resource Area, Lopez Island Office. Sheltered

anchor An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ', which itself comes from the Greek (). Anch ...

ages for boaters can be found in Reid Harbor and Prevost Harbor, with public state park facilities in each. Satellite Island, which lies in Prevost Harbor on the northeast side of the island, is used by YMCA Camp Orkila as a basecamp for teen expeditions and for field trips by campers.

Infrastructure

Two airstrips are located on the island. Stuart Island Airstrip (7WA5) is a grass runway, and Stuart Island West (2WA3) is a dirt runwayAirNav
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References

External links