In a Pig’s Footsteps

San Juan Island National Historic Park, off the coast of Washington in the island chain of the same name, offers not only an offbeat and obscure page from American history, but some fine hiking as well. Trails lead through the forest, along wind-swept island shores, and to a couple of summits with fine views of Canadian islands and the American mainland.

The park, established in 1966, commemorates the peaceful settlement of the 19th-Century Pig War, as it came to be known. Its two parcels, about 11 miles apart at opposite ends of the island, encompass the camps where opposing American and British troops were posted from 1859 to 1872.

San Juan Island is a year-round destination. While the off-season in many parts of the Pacific Northwest means “see you next summer,” here it means no crowds, cool-but-not-frigid temperatures, and a less expensive holiday. The San Juans are located in the “rain shadow” between the mountains of Vancouver Island and Washington’s Olympic Mountains. Some island boosters claim an average of 247 sunny days a year. Nevertheless, be sure to pack rain gear and your best water-repellent walking shoes.

San Juan Island is reached by Washington state ferries from Anacortes, 83 miles north of Seattle. Most of the island’s services and accommodations are in Friday Harbor, though there are a handful of B&Bs; and resorts in the interior and on other shores. For hiking information, be sure to stop at the National Park Service’s Visitor Center, near the corner of First and Spring streets.

Not to be missed in Friday Harbor is the superb Whale Museum. Some outstanding exhibits explain the evolution and behavior of the local orcas (killer whales).

But it was the Pig War that put San Juan Island on the map. Only one shot was fired and there was only one casualty: a pig. Yet this fallen porker created an international incident, one that brought America and Great Britain to the brink of war.

The year was 1859. For more than 40 years, Britain and the United States had been jockeying for position in the Pacific Northwest. By virtue of an 1846 treaty, possession of all lands south of the 49th Parallel in the Oregon Territory belonged to the United States. The treaty language was ambiguous, however, and both sides claimed San Juan Island.

The British supported Hudson’s Bay Company, the dominant presence on San Juan, and believed the island to be part of Queen Victoria’s domain. An American settler, Lyman Cutlar, had a different view, and planted a potato patch on land claimed by Hudson’s Bay. When a Hudson’s Bay pig repeatedly rooted around Cutlar’s potatoes, he shot it.

Tempers flared. The governor of British Columbia sent a ship and the Royal Marines. Cutlar appealed to American authorities, who also sent troops. Both sides reinforced their positions--the Americans at the southeast tip of the island, the British on the northwest shore.

There followed 13 years of gridlock between diplomats but peaceful cohabitation (and many joint social activities) between the militias. Finally, the boundary question was submitted to Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany to decide. He ruled in favor of the Americans.

Today at British Camp, you can visit a blockhouse and a couple of restored buildings from the old garrison, as well as a formal English garden, originally planted by the homesick soldiers.

British Camp offers a pair of walks. Mt. Young Trail (2 1/2 miles round trip, with 600-foot elevation gain) begins at the picnic area and ascends through a forest of fir and madrone to the summit, where the British maintained an observation post. The panoramic view takes in Canada’s Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands, Washington’s Olympic Mountains and Mt. Baker.

Bell Point Trail (one mile round trip) begins near the shoreline at the north end of the camp, then meanders through the woods to Bell Cove.

American Camp has a much wilder feel than British Camp--a bold headlands lashed by fierce southerly winds. You can join a scheduled ranger-led walk or take the mile-long interpretive trail on your own. The path starts from the Visitor Center and loops out onto the bluffs to Pickett’s Redoubt.

The redoubt (earthworks where cannons were mounted) was dug by Americans under the supervision of Lt. Henry Roberts, a 22-year-old engineer fresh out of West Point. Roberts went on to have a long and honorable military career, but it’s his passion for parliamentary procedure that we remember him for. Even today he has the last word on the subject with his “Robert’s Rules of Order.”

South Beach, a two-mile expanse of shore piled high with driftwood logs, offers a superb coast walk. A couple of picnic tables are perched above the beach. At low tide, you can walk to Cattle Point (four miles round trip).

Another fine walk from American Camp is the 2 1/2-mile loop up Mt. Finlayson. From atop the mountain you get views of Mt. Rainier and Vancouver Island.

About halfway between British Camp and American Camp, on the west side of the island, is Lime Kiln State Park, a stretch of shore that’s superb for whale-watching. Both orcas and minke whales can be seen regularly throughout the summer months as they pass the west side of the San Juan Islands.

Where: San Juan Island National Historic Park. Distance: 1-4 miles round trip. Terrain: Forested slopes, storm-lashed beaches. Highlights: Island and marine views, chance to observe orca whales. Degree of Difficulty: Easy-moderate. Precautions: Bring rain gear, watch for rabbie holes. For more information: Contact San Juan Island National Historic Park, P.O. Box 429, Friday Harbor, Wash. 98250, (206) 378-2240; San Juan Islands Visitor Information Service, (206) 468-3663.