Anchorage

Matia Island State Park

4.0United StatesPacific Northwest

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Shelter: NE, E, SW, S, SE
Seabed: rock
Anchoring: Allowed

Marine state park anchorage in the San Juan Islands, Washington, off Rolfe Cove on the northwest side of Matia Island.

Mooring buoys
Pontoon

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Rolfe Cove cuts into the northwest corner of the island over a rocky bottom. The cove holds two seasonal mooring buoys and a 128-foot seasonal dock; anchoring room is tight and holding on rock is uncertain. The cove is open to the northeast. Continuous moorage is limited to three consecutive nights.

Practical

Facilities are minimal: a composting toilet and a campground at Rolfe Cove. Mooring fees apply year round and registration is taken at the buoys. There is no water or fuel.

Ashore

Most of Matia is a National Wildlife Refuge, closed to landing. Visitors may walk the one-mile Wilderness Trail, which loops through two valleys to the site of the cabin where Civil War veteran Elvin Smith lived as a hermit from 1892.

History

Elvin H. Smith, a Union Army veteran, settled on Matia in April 1892 and became known as the Hermit of Matia Island. He lived there until his supply boat vanished in a storm in February 1921.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 48.74880, -122.84451 (48°44.93'N 122°50.67'W)
Country: United States
Shelter: Sheltered from north-east, east, south-west, south, south-east winds
Seabed: rock
Anchoring: Allowed
Services: Mooring buoys, Pontoon
Boaters' rating: 4.0/5
Updated: July 7, 2026