The first record of discovery of the area by the Spaniards is dated 1791. The 1792 Captain George Vancouver expedition named Deception Pass. Further exploration of this area was conducted by the Wilkes Expedition in 1841. By an act of Congress in 1925, a land grant gave the State of Washington 1,744.37 acres for public park purposes. In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) started development of the park.