The roaring Pacific Ocean of the Oregon Coast lives up to its billing at Shore Acres State Park. The Park is located 13 miles south of Coos Bay and it is one of three state parks along Cape Arago. Shore Acres is famous for being the number one spot on the Oregon Coast to watch, experience and photograph gigantic waves as they breake on the jagged outcroppings there and shooting water some 200 feet or more into the air.

There are a number of obvious and subtle factors that help produce these dramatic effects starting with the angle of the shoreline in its North, Northeast inclination, well positioning itself to capture the storm waves rolling in unincumbered before striking the rocks. Second, unlike a normal beach that angles up as the waves get close to shore, this shoreline surprisingly angles deeper so there is no loss of energy when the waves crash into its cliff and rocks. Some geologists also believe the unique syncline of the area helps further compress the waves energy thereby adding to the spectacular result.

Having a place about 30 miles away, Shore Acres is one of my favorite places to visit during the winter storms as well as the place we take visitors to the Oregon Coast due to its raw beauty and unbounded energy of the Pacific. Most visitors to this spot like to view the wave action on the southern part where the visitors hut is located and the former home of the Simpson family before donating the last to the state. On this day, I decided to make the hike to the northern side and capture some images there. I am using my Sony 24-105 f/4 lens at 98mm to capture this wave, estimated at around 180 ft using the heigh of a visitor standing under the tree on the left.