Moran State Park

History

The park was originally the estate of Seattle mayor and shipbuilder Robert Moran. Due to poor health, Moran moved to Orcas Island and between 1906 and 1909 built his estate, which included a large mansion named Rosario. Wood and stone material found on the island were used to construct the estate's houses and buildings. In 1921, Moran gave a large portion of his property to the state of Washington for the creation of Moran State Park. The mansion and its grounds remain in private hands, operated as Rosario Resort and Spa.

In August 1935, 28 men from the 4768th Company of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began constructing a stone observation tower atop 2407 ft Mount Constitution. Designed by noted Seattle architect Ellsworth Storey, the tower became the literal and figurative high point of eight years of work by crews from the CCC's Camp Moran. The state park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Activities and amenities

The park has more than 30 mi of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, non-motorized boating from two boat ramps, and year-round camping in five camping areas. The Mount Constitution observation tower commands sweeping marine views from the highest point in the San Juan Islands.

|File:Cascade_falls.jpg|Cascade Falls |File:Rustic falls Moran State Park WA.jpg|Rustic Falls on Cascade Creek Friends of Moran raise money for park needs through fundraising and by operating a small gift shop at the top of the mountain. The volunteer group organizes park cleanups and improvement events.

References

References

1. {{cite gnis. 1514785. Mount Constitution
2. "Mount Constitution : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost".
3. "Friends of Moran".
4. "Moran State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
5. "Moran State Park History". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
6. "Visitation Reports". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.
7. Oldham, Kit. (October 29, 2005). "Civilian Conservation Corps begins building an observation tower on Mount Constitution, Orcas Island, in August 1935". HistoryLink.
8. "Rosario Resort and Spa".
9. (January 2, 2013). ["Moran State Park"]({{NRHP url). National Park Service.