Sunset Bay to Cape Arago is a 8.5 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Coos Bay, Oregon that offers the chance to see wildlife and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.
This hike is a beautiful coastal walk along a strip of Oregon coastline. This amazing hike starts in beautiful Sunset Bay, takes you through beautiful gardens in Shore Acres State Park, stops at a sea lion viewpoint off a road and ends with a closeup view of sea lions at Cape Arago. The return trip takes you a slightly different way for different coastal views past amazing rock formations. It is an easy afternoon and you should definitely bring a camera!
We’ve been doing this trail in pieces as we have time. We started at Lighthouse Point, hiked down into Norton Gulch, then back up to the top meadow and around the cliff sides and down into Sunset Bay and then took the road back up around to Lighthouse Point lookout. It was gorgeous, but also muddy in a lot of places, which made things a bit slippery. Other than that, things were great!
We started at Simpson Reef Overlook and headed north. Originally we had planned to head south but the map seemed to only indicate crossing the road or walking the road (which seemed unwise as there is no shoulder). Hiking the portion of the trail to Simpson Beach was fun. Lots of beautiful outlooks and photo ops. This portion of the trail is extremely narrow so be sure to bring your mask as you won’t be able to keep 6 feet of distance. As you get closer to Simpson Beach the trail widens. We enjoyed the cave and tide pools at Simpson Beach before turning around and heading back. It was about 3 miles round trip. Lots of tree roots so may be challenging for young children.
We hiked from Sunset Bay to Shore Acres along this trail and it was beautiful. My husband and I are not in great shape, so it’s definitely a great trail for enthusiastic beginners. The first portion starting out at Sunset Beach is pretty steep, but it quickly flattens out. We took a detour down to the beach at Norton Gulch and there is a gorgeous little waterfall down there. We had the beach to ourselves. We turned around at the botanical gardens at Shore Acres and with our detours, it was about 5 miles round trip. We went in June, after heavy rains, and there were only a few super muddy spots along the way. The trail is open and in good shape. It’s also wide enough to maintain social distancing.
Stunning trail, we walked from Sunset to the Sea Lion lookout. A must-do if you’re from east of the Mississippi; however, it’s unfortunate that the trail isn’t marked properly. Virtually zero chance of getting lost, but a very high chance of wasting time. Definitely download the map to make sure you’re headed where you want to go. We loved hearing the marine life as we approached the viewing area. Don’t pass this one by!
Thoroughly enjoyed this hike, and the wildlife that we encountered. We had the trail to ourselves until around midday, then it got a little more crowded. Trail is in very good condition, but could use some markings or blazes along the way; we saw only a few random pieces of ribbon to mark the way, and a pair of men’s underwear hanging from a branch on the side of the trail. Starting the hike in the morning was absolutely the right decision. Take a camera and a pair of binoculars!
Absolutely loved this trail. Lots of alternate routes keep the hike interesting, but the views alone make it worth checking out. Easy to make it as long or as short a hike as you’d like.
I would recommend starting the trail early in the day. I began at 10:00 AM and finished at 2:00 PM. The trail is not always clearly marked, however after you see Simpson Beach, listen for the sea lions barking and you know you are headed the right way!! When I arrived at Simpson Reef I wasn’t sure if I should take the pack trail or stick with the road. I opted for the pack trail and then ended up on a dirt road and a camp site. Take the dirt road down and then you will end up at Cape Arago!