One Oregon parking permit gets you into three state parks, and the middle one used to be a millionaire’s private garden
Sunset Bay, Shore Acres, and Cape Arago sit one mile apart from each other on the same road outside Coos Bay, and Oregon State Parks treats a visit to all three as one trip. Pay the $10 day-use fee at any one of them and it covers your car at the other two, plus every other fee-charging state park you stop at for the rest of that day.
Psst — we made you a West Coast Adventure Map. Nearly 1,900 of our favorite spots, already pinned, ready to load into Google Maps in two clicks — grab it here.
Sunset Bay: the calm, protected start
Sunset Bay’s beach curves into a cove tight enough that the cliffs block most of the wind coming off the Pacific, which is rare enough on this stretch of coast that it’s basically the reason people swim here at all. It’s also the easiest of the three parks to reach, with a campground on site if you want to turn the day into a weekend.
📍 GET THE ULTIMATE PNW MAP 🗺️
Get our curated list of the best adventures, things to do, and places to grab a brew loaded onto your maps with just two clicks!
✅ Waterfalls ✅ Hikes ✅ Viewpoints
✅ Craft breweries ✅ National Parks ✅ 1400+ Pins
Shore Acres: a timber baron’s garden, rebuilt twice
Shore Acres started as a private estate. Timber and shipping magnate Louis Simpson built a mansion here in 1908 for his wife Cassandra, filled the grounds with plants his own ships hauled in from around the world, and then lost it all twice. The house burned in 1921, and the rebuilt version went bankrupt along with everything else in the Great Depression.
Oregon bought the land in 1942, tore down what was left of the mansion in 1948, and didn’t touch the garden again until 1974. What’s there now is a rebuilt version of Simpson’s original: a Japanese-style garden around a lily pond, two rose gardens, and something blooming almost every day of the year. Roses are winding down by August, but the dahlias are just getting started and keep going through mid-October.
One rule here catches people off guard: no dogs anywhere in the park or the garden, full stop. If you’re hiking the Oregon Coast Trail straight through, your dog can pass through the parking lot with you and nowhere else.
Cape Arago and Simpson Reef: the payoff
Cape Arago sits at the literal end of the road, where the highway just stops. A trail down to the south cove leads to some of the best tidepools on this stretch of coast, and the north cove trail overlooks Shell Island’s seal and sea lion colony — a route that closes every spring to protect pups and reopens by summer.
Our guide to Cape Arago breaks down both trails in more depth. The bigger payoff, though, might be Simpson Reef Overlook, a pullout right on the highway between Shore Acres and Cape Arago.
It’s the largest haul-out for marine mammals on the entire Oregon Coast: northern elephant seals, harbor seals, and both Steller and California sea lions, often all sharing the same rocks at once. Rangers are running wildlife-viewing programs there through August if you want someone explaining what you’re looking at instead of just guessing.
If you’re short on time, skip the walk and drive straight to that Simpson Reef pullout. You’ll see just as many seals without lacing up a single boot, and the view from the parking lot genuinely rivals the one from the trail.
The Oregon Coast Trail connects all three parks directly, roughly 2 miles one way between Sunset Bay and Cape Arago, so plan on close to 4 miles round trip if you walk the whole loop instead of driving between lots. Drones are banned at all three parks, no exceptions.
Want more on any single stop? We’ve got dedicated guides to Sunset Bay and Shore Acres too.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get down to Coos Bay, or lock in a hotel nearby before the good rooms are gone.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
