With the summer cruising season in our wake, construction projects are now taking place at Stuart Island and Sucia Island marine state parks, which will be completed in February 2027. Here’s the latest from Washington State Parks…

Reid Harbor and Fossil Bay will be open during construction, though visitors may experience localized area closures. Mooring buoys will be available, though boaters will see a construction barge with a large crane and hear construction noise. Reid Harbor will not have a pumpout station, dock, or easy shore access while the work is being done.

Quieter stays are available at Prevost Harbor on the other side of Stuart Island and at the five other bays off Sucia Island.

Construction at Reid Harbor includes:

• Replacing the aging dock with a dock that offers more accessibility through a flatter incline. Additionally, the grated decking and materials of the new dock will filter light, which protects delicate shallow-water aquatic life.
• Removing a string of linear buoys at the end of their lifespan.
• Repairing the pumpout station by replacing creosote piles with galvanized steel, which will improve water quality in the bay.

Construction at Fossil Bay includes:

• Building a sturdy new pumpout station anchored by galvanized steel piles embedded in the submerged bedrock, out of boaters’ way as they enter and moor in the bay.

The two projects received funding from several sources. The pumpout projects at Reid Harbor and Fossil Bay are supported by grant funding from the State Parks Boating Program, through its Clean Vessel Act grant program. A grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation also helped fund the Fossil Bay pumpout project. A grant from the Recreation Conservation Office funds part of the work at Reid Harbor. The remainder of the work is funded by the agency’s Capital and Operating budgets.

State Parks appreciates visitors’ patience with temporary closures and congestion for their safety and that of our staff and crews. Washington State Parks is responsible for the upkeep of more than 120 parks across the state, including recreational amenities such as mooring buoys and docks. This work helps the agency fulfill its mission of not only maintaining but improving state parks for generations to come. State Parks looks forward to welcoming visitors to a new, improved experience on Stuart and Sucia islands next winter.