The US and Britain nearly went to war over a pig on this Washington island — and the pig was the only casualty

In June 1859, an American farmer on San Juan Island shot a pig rooting in his garden. The pig belonged to Britain’s Hudson’s Bay Company. Tensions over who actually owned the San Juan Islands had been simmering for over a decade — and that one dead pig was almost enough to start a war.

Both nations rushed troops to the island. Within weeks, American soldiers and British Royal Marines were camped less than a dozen miles apart, and for the next twelve years, neither side backed down.

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Nobody ever fired a shot at anyone. The whole standoff stayed bloodless until 1872, when both countries agreed to let Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany arbitrate the border dispute. He ruled for the United States, and San Juan Island has been American ground ever since.

Two camps, one island

Today both military camps are preserved as San Juan Island National Historical Park, split across opposite ends of the island. There’s no entrance fee and no pass required at either site — just show up and walk in.

American Camp

American Camp sits at the island’s exposed south end: windswept prairie, sweeping views across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and South Beach, the longest public beach anywhere in the San Juans. Climb 285-foot Mount Finlayson for a view of Cattle Point Lighthouse, or head down to Jakle’s Lagoon instead.

That same prairie happens to be the only place on Earth with a wild population of the island marble butterfly — a species everyone assumed had gone extinct for 90 years, until someone spotted one again in 1998.

English Camp

English Camp, up on quieter Garrison Bay at the island’s north end, is a different mood entirely. The original barracks, blockhouse, and commissary are all still standing, next to a formal garden the Royal Marines planted more than 150 years ago and a small cemetery tucked into the trees.

If you only have time for one, pick English Camp. American Camp’s prairie is dramatic in an exposed, wide-open way, but English Camp’s shaded garden and still waterfront feel like real history you can stand inside — not just a photo op.

Getting there

Between the two sites you’re looking at more than 23 miles of trail, easy enough for a family afternoon and varied enough to fill a full day. Washington State Ferries runs from Anacortes to Friday Harbor in about an hour, and both camps are a short drive from the terminal.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.

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