554 votes

Shore Acres State Park

89039 Cape Arago Hwy, Coos Bay, Oregon 97420 USA

Closed Now

Opens Fri 8a

Independent

“perched on rugged sandstone cliffs high above the ocean”

Perched on rugged sandstone cliffs high above the ocean, Shore Acres State Park is an exciting and unexpected combination of beautiful natural and constructed features. Once the grand estate of pioneer timber baron Louis Simpson, Shore Acres features lushly planted gardens with plants and flowers from all over the world. Something is in bloom almost every day of the year. In the landscaped area you'll discover a formal garden, a Japanese-style garden with a lily pond, and two rose gardens which include All American Rose Selections. From Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve, the gardens are ablaze with thousands of colored lights and holiday decorations put up by community volunteers and The Friends of Shore Acres in cooperation with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. After seeing the garden, you can stroll down a trail to a secluded ocean cove at Simpson Beach or skirt the cliff's edge to see spectacular ocean vistas which often include towering waves crashing against the shoreline after a storm and migrating grey whales. On the site of Simpson's vanished mansion, a fully enclosed observation building will allow you to view the ocean and protect you from the weather. The observation building has interpretive panels describing the history of the Simpson estate. Shore Acres Park is located on the Cape Arago Highway, 13 miles southwest of Coos Bay/North Bend and U.S. Highway 101. The park is open every day from 8 a.m. to dusk. Please check posted times at park entrance for exact closing times. A daily vehicle parking fee is charged. Annual day-use permits are available for purchase. An Oregon Pacific Coast Passport or your camping receipt from Sunset Bay State Park or any other Oregon state park campground are accepted as a daily permit. Please display the receipt on the driver's side of your dashboard. No animals permitted outside of vehicles, with the exception of service animals.

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Reviewed by
rdheyden

1 Review
3 Helpful

May 31, 2016

Rated 5.0

This is indeed a great place, but Roadtrippers has the location wrong. It's just SW of Charleston, OR.

3 people found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Adrock

11 Reviews
2 Helpful

March 20, 2022

Rated 5.0

Shore Acres State Park is a ***MUST VISIT***. The park has a little bit of everything for everyone. The coastline views are to die for and EASILY was our favorite day driving on Hwy 101 from Washington down into California during our 8 days of vacation. TIP - plan to visit the park during high tide. We were very lucky to witness what we did because the waves crashed so hard on the rocks they shot up into the sky and literally hundreds of feet onto the shoreline. The waves were incredibly powerful and were the highlight of our trip. Truly memories for a lifetime. TIP - there are beautiful coves you can hike down into just prior to the park. Don’t let the abundance of foliage getting down into these areas persuade you not to go down. There are opportunities to have unique experiences as we found out. We saw several seals up close and the children loved it. Beware of waves as the tide comes in the coves. Lastly, the Garden wasn’t in full bloom yet, but there was still a lot to appreciate. TIP - you have to pay $5 for parking and it was the best money I’ve ever spent. If you don’t have cash, go to the gift shop and you can get a parking pass there to put in your vehicle. Everybody was so nice and the park is absolutely amazing. Enjoy!

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
pastor.ari

74 Reviews
62 Helpful

September 19, 2014

Rated 5.0

Definitely a must see. The rugged, rocky shoreline and the carefully manicured flower gardens are a beautiful contrast to each other. Best to go in the spring and summer when the flowers are in bloom and the beach is best to visit during low tide so you can reach some of the rocky areas.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Aundrea311

1 Review
0 Helpful

May 13, 2014

Shore Acres is a must see when you visit the Oregon Coast. The coastal views are amazing!! There's so much to see there. The beautiful gardens, whale watching, seal rock, views of the light house, trails and more!

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
KellyARoja

51 Reviews
3 Helpful

July 18, 2019

Rated 4.0

Great place to go. Wondered around near the beach as well as into the flower gardens. Flowers were beautiful. Only disappointment was that the gift shop didn't open until 10:30 am. Even though the park opens at 8. All around a good place to get out of the car and spend a half an hour taking in nature's beauty.

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