Ebey's Landing

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve covers central Whidbey Island in Island County. The National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-625) established it as the first national historical reserve. NPS says the purpose is to protect, preserve, and interpret a continuous record of exploration and American settlement in Puget Sound from the nineteenth century to the present.

The 2019 foundation document lists 17,572 acres: 13,617 acres of land and 3,955 surface acres of Penn Cove. About 85 percent of the land is privately owned. About 2,023 acres are protected with NPS scenic easements, and 413 acres are owned in fee by the National Park Service. The reserve is named for Isaac Ebey, whom NPS calls the first of these settlers to permanently settle on Whidbey Island.

A nine-member Trust Board, with representatives from Coupeville, Island County, Washington State Parks, and NPS, manages the reserve. The sources below are the National Park Service record of the reserve.