Shaw Island Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
island of the San Juan Islands in Washington state, United States
About Shaw Island
The island has a land area of just under 20 km² (7.7 sq mi) and a small year-round population of 240 (2010). Summer time weekends swell with other residents and the occasional tourists. The Wilkes Expedition, in 1841, named the island after John Shaw, a United States Naval Officer. There are two Catholic religious institutes of nuns on Shaw Island. Benedictine nuns established a monastery on 150 acres in the 1970s; while the Sisters of Mercy have owned an unofficial retreat on the island since the 1980s. Nuns of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist ran the island's only store and the ferry terminal for more than two decades until 2004 where they could be seen in full habit directing ferry traffic.
Where to Stay in Shaw Island
- 🏨Shaw Island County Park
Shaw Island Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: