Marrowstone Island doesn’t have much commerce on it. It actually doesn’t have many residents, either — under 1,000 as of the 2020 census (Wikipedia, 2025). Nevertheless, the 6.3-square-mile island off the coast of Port Townsend, Washington would seem to have a strong sense of community, which is reflected on a sign posted at its community-owned Nordland General Store (2025).
Lest you wonder whether these are patriotic Americans, around Independence Day you can find plenty of red, white and blue on the island. It’s just that these folks would appear to be pretty self-reliant. That would make a lot of sense given that the island is both isolated and rural in character.
That gives the place an interesting mix of characteristics. On the one hand it has a rustic quality, with land stretching out so far and wide.
On the other hand, there are quite a few very nice water-front properties with boats that often do not look very plebeian.
For the non-resident, Marrowstone’s biggest attraction may be Fort Flagler Historical State Park (WSP, 2025). It used to be a fort intended to protect the entrance to Puget Sound — which is the gateway to the greater-Seattle area.
The fort has some interesting military artifacts, but I suspect that people mostly go there to fly kites, kayak or just hang out at the beach. You can also camp. I haven’t done so yet because the sites look fairly small and windy, but I would imagine that it would be a particularly fun place to be on a clear night with the moon out.
Some of you may be wondering whether I saw any naked people while visiting Marrowstone Island. I did, but only on a relatively secluded neighborhood beach.
The beaches are the star of the show, and they can stretch as far as the eye can see. Sitting on a log on a sunny afternoon, watching the sailboats drift by in the distance, I can easily start to feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of city life. So in a way, Marrowstone Island does feel like another country.
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RE:SOURCES
- Nordland General Store; 2025. Accessed July 6.
- Wikipedia; 2025. “Marrowstone Island.” Page last modified February 13.
- WSP; 2025. “Fort Flagler.” Washington State Parks. Accessed July 6.
The last paragraph is a lot like the reaction I have when I look at the landscape: as the main urban settlement’s surface itself is rather small, I can’t see green hills on three sides and the ancient and nearly abandoned downtown on one of them, and it is an absolutely astounding sight.
I don’t like crowded places, but I do like settlements where human presence is the bare minimum for it to function but nothing more.
*I can see green hills
Sorry for the typo