Kopachuck State Park, including Dead Man's Island (also called Cutts Island), is located in Pierce County on Henderson Bay, Puget Sound, 7 miles off Highway 16.

Acreage

109 acres with 5,600 feet of saltwater shoreline.

Acquired

The park was acquired in three parcels; the first in 1955 and the last in 1972, for a total cost of $641,500.

Historical Background

The name Kopachuck originated from the trade language of the Pacific Coast Indians called "Chinook jargon". Kopachuck is actually two words: "kopa" meaning "at" and "chuck" meaning "water". It is known that this scenic site was a seasonal fishing and clamming site of the Puyallup and Nisqually tribes.

One of Cutts Island's earliest documented names was "Crow Island". Peter Puget, of the 1792 Vancouver expedition, was astonished at the quantity of crows the first time he went ashore. In 1841, the island was renamed "Scotts Island", in honor of Thomas Scott, quartermaster of the Wilkes' expedition of the same year. Over the years, the island was also called "Dead Man's Island" because it was believed to have been used by the saltwater tribes who buried the dead by resting them in canoes which were placed in the forks of trees. In an undocumentable way, the island has since acquired its present name.

Facilities

The park has 41 campsites with no hookups, 79 picnic sites, 3 comfort stations, 5 kitchen shelters, 1,500 feet of unguarded beach, underwater marine park, approximately 1 mile of hiking trails, 2 unorganized group camps, 12 mooring buoys, and a trailer dump station.

Of Special Interest

The park provides numerous trails; some with views of Henderson Bay and the Olympic Mountains.

Activities

Hiking, clamming, boating, water skiing, camping, picnicking, beachcombing, scuba diving, bird watching and shore fishing.