But it was also here in 1859 that the United States and Great Britain nearly went to war over a dead pig. Among the national park system’s over 400 units, San Juan Island National Historical Park is the only site that illustrates, in its dramatic and largely intact physical setting, how war can be averted and peace maintained through positive action by individuals and governments — a powerful mess
age in unsettled times. San Juan Island National Historical Park consists of two distinct units, American Camp (1223 acres) and English Camp (841 acres), which together comprise 2,064 acres. The visitor centers at these units are open 10 am-3 PM Thursday-Monday. The boundary of English Camp includes an off shore island known as Guss Island. The marine ecosystems surrounding these units and their six miles of publicly accessible shoreline are renowned for their scenery. The natural assets and historical significance of the park attract more than 250,000 visitors each year – mostly during the summer months and on weekends. San Juan Island sits in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and is drier than other areas of western Washington. There is considerable variation in microclimate even within San Juan Island. This natural variability is reflected in the local vegetation, with grassy prairies in the dry American Camp area and western evergreens and deciduous trees in the English Camp area. Freshwater areas exist in the form of numerous small wetlands in each area. Marine waters of the park include Garrison and Westcott bays adjacent to English Camp, as well as more exposed shorelines along Griffin Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca in American Camp, and three small lagoons on Griffin Bay. English Camp is significant as the location of a British Royal Marines camp during the joint occupation. Following the military occupation, the site was the location of the Crook family homestead. The site is situated on Garrison Bay and comprises 1,400 feet of shoreline, a broad level bank, and surrounding hillsides. English Camp features significant historic resources, including four buildings from the military period, the historic landscape, extensive earthworks and masonry work, and numerous archaeological sites. Following the encampment era, the Crook family lived on and farmed the land of English Camp from 1875 until it was acquired by Washington State in 1963. American Camp is significant as the location of the United States Army camp during the joint occupation of the island by British and American Troops from 1859 to 1874. The site occupies a portion of the southeast peninsula of San Juan Island and is comprised of a broad ridge overlooking Griffin Bay to the north and Haro Strait to the south, and includes scrub-prairie lands and Puget Sound shoreline. American Camp features significant historic resources including two of the original military buildings, the reconstructed military fence and flagpole, and numerous archaeological sites. The cultural landscape also includes the sites of the Hudson’s Bay Company agricultural outpost, Belle Vue Sheep Farm, and San Juan Town.
