Shore Acres State Park

For other uses, see Shore Acres (disambiguation).

Shore Acres State Park
Formal garden in the park
Shore Acres State Park is located in Oregon
Shore Acres State Park
Shore Acres State Park is located in the United States
Shore Acres State Park
TypePublic, state
LocationCoos County, Oregon
Nearest cityCoos Bay
Coordinates43°19′25″N 124°22′55″W / 43.323672°N 124.38192°W / 43.323672; -124.38192[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

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]

View west across the garden from the pavilion showing the southern half. Walkways and plants are decorated with holiday lights.
Shore Acres Holiday Lights

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 built as an estate in 1910 for Louis J. Simpson, a Coos County timber baron and son of shipping magnate Asa Meade Simpson.[4] After a 1921 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][5] The site was initially used as a radar station by the U.S. Army during World War II and decommissioned in 1948; the buildings on the property were used as barracks and were demolished after the war.[5] The state, which acquired park additions from other owners between 1956 and 1980, began restoring the garden in 1970.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Shore Acres State Park". Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "Park History". Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d "Shore Acres State Park" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Wagner, Richard; Wagner, Judith. "Louis J. Simpson (1877–1949)". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Hale, Jamie (August 24, 2018). "From luxury estate to state park paradise, Shore Acres is an Oregon treasure". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
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