Shore Acres State Park

Shore Acres State Park is a 301 acre State Park in Coos County in the U.S. state of Oregon.

Geography

The park is located on the Cape Arago Highway about 22 km south of Coos Bay on a sandstone cliff high above the Pacific Ocean and includes the 20,000 m² botanical garden Shore Acres.

History

Towards the end of the 19th century, the area was partly used for agriculture. 1899 bought by the timber baron Louis J. Simpson the terrain and left it there in 1906 a luxurious summer house and gardens built. The wooden summer house burned down in 1921 and was built until 1928. Due to financial difficulties sold Simpson 1942, the grounds of the state of Oregon. During the Second World War the site was used as a military observation post. After the Second World War, the Summer House was strongly in need of restoration, so it was demolished in 1948. The elaborate gardens fell into disrepair until it was restored from 1970. By 1980, the park was expanded to its present size through acquisitions. The state park is supported since the mid- 1980s by its own patrons.

Tourist Facilities

The visit to the park is chargeable. The garden offers walking trails through formally applied roses, tulips and rhododendron gardens, and a Japanese pond. Near the former gardener's house is the highest Monterey pine Oregon. From the 20 m high cliff where once the summer home Simpsons stood, offers a broad view of the ocean from a south of the park vantage platform, seals, sea lions and elephant seals on the Simpson Reef, one to the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge belonging Felsriff can be observed. A tourist attraction is the Shore Acres Holiday Lights when between Thanksgiving and New Year in the garden with thousands of lights and illuminated sculptures decorated.

About 1.5 km to the north lies the Sunset Bay, about 1.5 km south of Cape Arago State Park. The three state parks are connected to a trail with each other, which is also part of the Oregon Coast Trail.