Cape Arago State Park

Amazing, a must see if your in the neighborhood. We got lucky and got to see a few seals up close. Not too close, we know better. Enjoy Nature!

This place is absolutely gorgeous! The surf was high with up to 27 foot waves the day we visited. Lots of cool little trails and tide pool areas (which we unfortunate couldn’t get into because of the high surfs). We will definitely be going back to explore some more!

Great clean trails and tons of places to turn and explore and never run into a swarm of other tourist. Some of the stopping points that are RIGHT on cliff edges are just gorgeous to stand and watch the incoming waves on. High tide is stunning, check the ride table and come take walk to see it!

If you have never been here, I suggest doing so! It has breath taking views. We went on a grey stormy day and it was gorgeous. Just watching the waves break over all the broken rocks in the surf, and cliffs. I just wanted the drive to last forever. I have never really explored this part of the Coast before besides the Dunes. I’m a Eugene girl who goes to Florence and makes the drive up North 101 to Lincoln City. I am glad we went South this time because it is a change in scenery. Just beautiful!

Its a beautiful drive.
There were several points along the road from Coos Bay that we stopped. A couple of beaches and a few lookouts. At one of the lookouts volunteers had set up a couple of spotting scopes. They were also answering questions about the wildlife and the area in general.
There was an ocean fog that day so we didn’t see the sea lions, we only heard them. They can make a ruckus. Some little birds that turned out to be Pigeon Guillemot were diving for food.

Oregon’s state park staffers are the great unsung heroes of our beautiful state. Those who maintain this park are no different.
I mean, where else can you see Blue whales*, seals and sea lions, and Harlequin Ducks** all on the same day, and in such gorgeous surroundings? Then use the clean, well-​maintained lavs complete with soap and paper towels? And do it all for free? Nowhere, that’s where.
If you have visitors to the Bay Area from out of town, and if you don’t take them on the circuit from Cape Arago to the Shore Acres State Park botanical gardens to Sunset Bay to scenic Charleston — well, you’re a negligent host. Sorry but it’s true.
***
* Blue whales are not usually spotted close to shore in Oregon, but at least one of these massive beasts was just off the point at Cape Arago on the afternoon of 30-​AUG-​14. ODFW says this specimen should be part of the eastern Pacific population that ranges from Alaska to Costa Rica.
** Google «Harlequin Duck breeding plumage» and check out the images. You will definitely want to see these rare, fantastical birds of the NW coast during wintertime when they’re in their breeding configuration.

As an ‘end of the road’ attraction, it ‘s a let down. Not that the cape isn’t amazing and beautiful and oh-​my-​goodness, but it’s just a… cape. Having seen about one million before, there’s not that much that stands out. I mean, besides the obvious.
It is literally at the end of the road. It’s a turnaround after several amazing locations and you might as well keep going until you hit a u-​turn, right?

I had no idea you could stand in one place and view five different types of marine mammals (harbor seals, California sea lions, Stellar’s sea lions, elephant seals and gray whales) at once. You can do that here. The views of the shoreline as well as the wildlife are stunning, and if you forgot your binoculars you can use their 50 cent telescopes mounted at the viewpoint.
Most parts of this park have no day use fee. I think Shore Acres Garden is the exception but the fee is reasonable. Pretty amazing, because the State could charge a lot to see this beautiful place.

Stunning. Beautiful. Tranquil. Remote.
We decided to take the slow road from Florence to Bandon and are so glad we did. After passing through Coos Bay, we headed toward the ocean and Cape Arago State Park. Now, I love Honeyman and the dunes, but this place felt so unspoiled and natural. It is where you can get away from it all.
The land was donated by a pioneer timber baron, Louis J. Simpson, and you can visit his estate at Shore Acres State Park within Cape Arago. To visit Shore Acres, you pay a $ 5 day use fee, but all of our stops at the rest of the park were free.
There were two highlights for our family. Simpson’s Reef Overlook which offers an incredible view of marine mammals. Thousands of sea lions (several varieties) sit off the coast on Shell Island and hundreds of harbor seals are on the reef. Both are part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Even though the animals are off shore, the sheer volume is inspiring. They also have docents [1] there to answer your questions and they’ve set up high powered lenses so you can get a closer look. There is also the North Cove Trail, but it is closed March 1– June 30 to protect seal pups.
The second highlight was the southernmost tip of the park where you get a beautiful view (the fog lifted and it was like everything was in technicolor) and you can take the South Cove Trail down to the tidepools. There are several benches at different spots along the trail for a picnic.
Cape Arago Lighthouse is closed to the public and you can’t get close, so enjoy it from a distance. This was our first visit to the area, but combined with Sunset Bay State Park and Shore Acres, it is an area I can’t wait to explore further.
[1] 10am — 4pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays from Memorial Day thru Labor Day.

Do you want to view seals on the Oregon Coast? Well, this is an excellent place to view and hear their very loud and strange sounds. There are a variety of seals at Cape Arago State Park which includes northern elephant seals, harbour seals, stellar sea lions, and California sea lions. During my visit, I saw California sea lions, stellar sea lions, and harbour seals. I recommend viewing the seals with binoculars because some of the seals some of the seals are at a distance. They’re very loud and I found the sounds to be too loud to the point of being annoying. Yeah, really, it was that bad!
There are a variety of trails at this State Park and the air is extremely fresh. All the trees around you and the fresh ocean air was very pleasant. I felt extremely alive at this State Park. It really changes your body big time! Major energy booster! Just remember to wear a jacket because it can be cold even on a sunny day in the summer due to the strong winds. This is another State Park which isn’t visited as much by tourists or locals because it’s far away from highway 101. I also assume the locals might be really annoyed by the really loud sounds of the seals. It’s louder than the Sea Lion Caves in Florence. There were only about 5 cars in the parking lot and I only saw about 7 other people in total.