Cape Arago State Park
The Cape Arago State Park is a 54 -acre state park in Coos County in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Geography
The park is located 24 km south of Coos Bay at the end of Cape Arago Highway. The Cape Arago is a sparsely vegetated, 60 m high cape, from which the view extends south to Cape Blanco. Two paths lead from the parking lot at the end of the highway to sandy beaches and tidal pools and offer a view of the upstream shell Iceland, part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Flora and Fauna
On the rocky coast and on the offshore rocks and island numerous sea birds such as harlequin ducks, Cliff oystercatchers and migratory birds such as Schwarzkopf Ruddy Turnstone, guillemots, Marmelalken, reindeer Diver, Red-necked Grebe, Red-throated Diver, Pacific Diver, Meerscharben, Pinselscharben and numerous gull species can be observed. In wooded with rainforest hinterland live birds like Townsend Warbler, Ruby-crowned chicken, Indian kinglet Andes Treecreeper and crossbill. In the summer the park osprey, bald eagle and Canada herons can be spotted.
Shell Iceland is the most northern place on the Pacific coast, get to the elephant seal pups, also live California sea lions and harbor seals and Steller on the island.
History
Supposedly, the bay was south of the cape already have an anchorage by Francis Drake on his circumnavigation of the globe in June 1579. James Cook named the Cape on his third voyage on March 12, 1778 the day of St. Gregory Cape Gregory. In 1850 it was renamed in honor of the French physicist François Arago in Cape Arago. The area originally belonged to the land of wood Baron Louis Simpson, who gave it on 1 June 1932, the state of Oregon. Paths and other facilities of the state parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. During the Second World War, the site of the Coast Guard and the U.S. Army was used as an observation post and radar station.
Tourist Facilities
The visit to the park is free of charge. The park has a picnic area, and several hiking trails. To the north it borders on the Shore Acres State Park, 3 km to the north lies the Sunset Bay State Park. The three parks are connected by a footpath, which is also part of the Oregon Coast Trail.