| 28th | Washington">Top islands of the United States: Washington |
Cypress Island, is one of the least developed of the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington, USA. It is the westernmost part of Skagit County, Washington and is about halfway between the mainland and offshore San Juan County. It is separated from Blakely Island to the west by Rosario Strait. The island has a land area of 16.124 km² (6.225 sq mi), or 5,500 acres (22 km2), and a population of 40 persons as of the 2000 census.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources manages about 4,800 acres (19 km2) of the island and leaves the island in a natural state. Cypress is heavily forested and has a system of trails linking various parts of the island. In roughly the middle of the island is a lake of about 7 acres (28,000 m2). On the southeastern corner of the island is a sheltered bay featuring a salmon hatchery.
The island is a popular destination for kayak trips due to the freestyle camping available and its relatively close proximity to the mainland.
The first sighting of Cypress Island by Europeans was by the Spanish during the 1791 voyage of José María Narváez, who named it San Vincente.[1]
Most of the island is underlain by ultramafic rock such as serpentinite, which provides a poor balance of nutrients to soils that develop on it. Limited areas of fertile non-ultramafic soils occur around the island's northern end and in small pockets elsewhere.
Forests on the island are dominated by Douglas-fir. The magnesium-rich bedrock supports a considerable population of Rocky Mountain juniper, which is locally known as "cypress." Other common trees include shore pine, Pacific madrone and Douglas maple. Some western hemlock, western red cedar, grand fir, red alder and bigleaf maple also occur.
Coordinates: 48°34′28″N 122°42′16″W / 48.574325°N 122.704531°W
   | Cypress Island: Blocks 1025 and 1026, Census Tract 9501, Skagit County, Washington - Detailed Tables - American FactFinder |
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