Shore Acres State Park

Shore Acres State Park is a state park 13 miles (21 km) south of Coos Bay in the U.S. state of Oregon.[1] It is one of three state parks along the Cape Arago Highway, which runs along the Pacific Ocean west of U.S. Route 101. Sunset Bay State Park is about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Shore Acres, and Cape Arago State Park is about a mile south.[3]

Shore Acres State Park
Formal garden in the park
TypePublic, state
LocationCoos County, Oregon
Nearest cityCoos Bay
Coordinates43°19′25″N 124°22′55″W[1]
Area745 acres (301 ha)[2]
Created1942
Operated byOregon Parks and Recreation Department
VisitorsAbout 250,000 a year[2]
Open8am to dusk
Websitehttp://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=68

The park features 5 acres (2 ha) of formal gardens including a rose-testing plot and Japanese lily pond,[3] as well as ocean views and beach access.[1] In the cooler months, visitors can watch storms and migrating whales from the park's sandstone cliffs.[3] Another seasonal attraction is the Shore Acres Holiday Lights, lasting from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve, when the gardens are decorated with lights and illuminated sculptures.[3]

Shore Acres was originally an estate owned by Louis J. Simpson, a Coos County timber baron and son of shipping magnate Asa Meade Simpson.[4] After fire and financial losses devastated his estate holdings, Simpson sold the land to the State of Oregon for use as a park in 1942.[4] The state, which acquired park additions from other owners between 1956 and 1980, began restoring the garden in 1970.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Shore Acres State Park". Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  2. "Park History". Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  3. "Shore Acres State Park" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  4. Wagner, Richard; Wagner, Judith. "Louis J. Simpson (1877–1949)". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved May 12, 2016.



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