Bay View State Park History

Bay View State Park is perched above the waves of Padilla Bay at the western edge of the Skagit Valley. The scenic spot lies within the traditional territories of Coast Salish Indigenous people whose present-day descendants include members of the Samish Indian Nation, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Suquamish Tribe and Lummi Nation. For thousands of years the rich estuary and its extensive eelgrass beds have provided habitat for a diverse community of life that forms the basis of their cultures.

Indigenous Land

Local tribes ceded ownership of the area to the US federal government in the Treaty of Point Elliot in 1855, keeping rights to harvest natural resources in their usual and accustomed places, including Padilla Bay. An Indigenous leader with roots in the area of today’s Bay View State Park, identified as “Pat-teh-us, Noo-wha-ah sub-chief,” was one of the 81 Indigenous signers of the treaty. Government land surveys were completed in 1871, and the land passed into private ownership with a Cash Entry Patent to John Klingenmaier in 1890.

A Place for Recreation

That same year, the Skagit Valley Agricultural Society, a social club for local farmers, was founded by William J. McKenna, who had platted and named the town of Bay View in 1884. The group sold stock to members to raise enough money to purchase a portion of the Klingenmaier patent. A baseball diamond and horse-racing track were created and enjoyed by local families who came there to enjoy picnics, especially on the 4th of July.

In time, the property fell into disrepair and the Bay View Mothers’ Club suggested that the Society stockholders or their heirs pay the back taxes, clear title to the property and donate the land to the State Parks Committee on the condition that it be held as a state park in perpetuity. On March 29, 1924, the stockholders of the Skagit County Agricultural Association voted to dissolve the corporation and instruct the designated trustees to deed the real estate to the State for park purposes as a gift. On June 9, 1924, Skagit County Superior Court approved the dissolution and trusteeship. The donation was completed on January 21, 1925, and the park was officially named Bay View State Park on October 26 of the same year.

Protecting the Gift

Washington State Governor Roland H. Hartley vetoed operational funding for state parks from 1929 through 1932, causing the closure of most state parks. When asked by a local citizen about the closure of Bay View State Park, Hartley responded that he felt that State Parks should not include recreational facilities like campgrounds that private businesses could provide, and he wanted a “square deal for the taxpayers.” Hartley’s minimal government spending fell out of favor with voters during the Great Depression, and his successor, Governor Clarence D. Martin, worked to restore and expand funding of the state parks.

In keeping with Washington State Parks’ now well-established role as a steward of the state’s special places, a major project was undertaken at Bay View State Park beginning in 2012 to safeguard the water quality of Padilla Bay and enhance the habitat quality of the beaches within the park. Sewer and stormwater systems were upgraded, and the modified beach was rebuilt with larger pebble-like material that is much less susceptible to erosion. Work was performed during a time frame least harmful to fish and the finished project has made the beach more inviting for visitors and marine life while protecting the park for many years to come.