Cape Arago Light is perched on a small three-acre island just off Oregon’s mainland, near Sunset Bay State Park. It sits roughly 10 miles southwest of Coos Bay near the Cape Arago Highway.
The lighthouse and the land it’s on are not currently open to the public. And, there are only a few places it can be seen from land.
Spotting it was one of our rewards for hiking a short section of the Oregon Coast Trail that meanders through the coastal forest from Sunset Bay State Park to Shore Acres State Park and Cape Arago State Park.
The original Cape Arago Light was erected in 1866. The current lighthouse, the third, was constructed in the early 1930s, and is the only surviving structure on Chief’s Island. To read about Cape Arago Light’s full, rich history, click here.
Another place for RVers to get a view of the lighthouse (bring your binoculars) is a pullout with parking for most-sized rigs.
Finding the view point
From Highway 101 in Coos Bay, take Newmark Street west. Newmark Street will become Cape Arago Highway.
Follow Cape Arago Highway about 12 miles to Sunset Bay State Park. Shortly after you pass the entrance to the camping area on your right, and before reaching Shore Acres, there is a pullout area on your right from which you can get a distant view of Cape Arago Light.
Cape Arago Light:
Latitude: 43.34123
Longitude: -124.37543
Photos: (Double click on images to enlarge) (Top two images) Camp Arago Light taken from viewpoint along hiking trail south of Sunset Bay State Park. (Bottom) RVers Jimmy Smith (pink cap) and Sharon and Ron Vail (of Powell Butte, Ore.) look at the Oregon Coast and lighthouse in the distance from a pullout area along Cape Arago Highway. (Julianne G. Crane)
