Moran State Park on Orcas Island is well known for its amazing natural beauty. With Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juans, diverse hiking trails and multiple waterfalls and lakes it is, without question, a grand park to behold! With all that modern day grandeur you might not know that Moran State Park is full of American History, too!
In 1921, Robert Moran, the former Mayor of Seattle, gifted his substantial land holdings on Orcas Island to the State of Washington. This was the first large park in Washington State’s Park system and one heck of a gift. Unfortunately, the State didn’t quite have the funding to maintain such an expansive natural space so Robert Moran put his own money into building the first roads and bridges we still know and love today.
Flash forward to 1933 and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ‘New Deal’ initiative to help America climb its way out of the Great Depression. One of the most popular programs from the New Deal was the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC, as it became known, took young, unemployed men and put them to work across the country building roads, bridges and other foundations for the State and Federal parks and recreation areas we have been fortunate to inherit and enjoy today.
One of the most well-known sights in Moran State Park is the large observation tower perched atop Mount Mt. Constitution. Twenty-Eight men of from the 4768th Company of the CCC began work on the tower in 1935. Lime Stone was brought from the North shore of Orcas Island and hand cut by the young men to complete the impressive tapered tower. It took these gents over a year to complete the project but on July 7, 1936 they celebrated the top most beam being ‘set in stone’ and the structure was officially finished later that year.
Ever wondered what the collection of buildings called Camp Moran is? That’s the camp that the Civilian Conservation Corps built for themselves (and ultimately for all of us) as they laid the ground work for the majestic park we get to enjoy today. In all, 20 historical buildings that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the ‘30s and ‘40s are all right here for you to appreciate today on Orcas Island.
So the next time you visit Moran State Park or enjoy one of our glamping tents, take good care and time appreciate all of the hard work, foresight, dedication and plenty of muscle it took to create this magical place that “will be held forever as a playground for all the people.”
If you’d like to enjoy the natural and historical wonders of Moran State Park on Orcas Island while experiencing the cushy digs of your very own glamping tent, drop us a line or give us a ring!
