Perseids meteor shower from Oregon Coast

Meteors streak by and the Milky Way shifts its position in the night sky, as seen in this time-lapse video from Crook Point on the southern Oregon Coast, Aug. 13, 2020. Peter Pearsall, USFWS video

The Perseids, as they are known, are visible every summer from the Northern Hemisphere and are considered the best meteor shower of the year, according to NASA.

At its peak, the shower can contain up to 100 meteors per hour. Although the meteor showers are active starting in mid-July, the best time to view them is in mid-August, and usually in the early morning hours.

Just south of Gold Beach and only 30 minutes from the California border, Crook Point was acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000 to protect rare plants, seabird colonies and a 1-mile-long stretch of beach from encroaching development.

The 134-acre Crook Point parcel is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and right next to the Mack Reef archipelago, which is home to the second largest concentration of nesting seabirds in the state.

In addition to rare plants, seabird habitat, and unique geologic formations, the headland at Crook Point also protects a small stream with native cutthroat trout.

The scenic and extensive Oregon Islands Refuge includes more than 1,800 rocks, reefs, and islands, stretching from Tillamook Head all the way south to the California border.

All of the rocks, including the famous ones named Haystack, are designated as wilderness areas, too.

The headland at Crook Point is closed to public use.