Inspired by my recent adventure that involved swimming in Big Bear Lake, right next to this interesting island, I collected some old photos from the internet and put them together.
It is called China Island, Treasure Island and Garstin Island.
China because the Chinese people who helped build the dam built these huts on the granite rocks originally.
Treasure because nobody knows why but that’s what some of the old photos say.
Garstin because it was the family name of the caretakers for a long time.
![](https://antranik.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/1919-treasure-island-china-island-big-bear-lake.jpg)
![1925-1928 china island treasure island big bear lake](https://antranik.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/1925-1928-china-island-treasure-island-big-bear-lake.jpg)
![](https://antranik.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/china-island-treasure-island-big-bear-lake-unknown-date.jpg)
![1924 treasure island china island](https://antranik.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/1924-treasure-island-china-island.jpg)
![china island treasure island, big bear lake unknown date 2](https://antranik.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/china-island-treasure-island-big-bear-lake-unknown-date-2.jpg)
![](https://antranik.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/1942-treasure-island.jpg)
![2008 china island treasure island big bear lake](https://antranik.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2008-china-island-treasure-island-big-bear-lake-1024x768.jpg)