Rust-red cliffs rise 600 feet in a part of Oregon you’d never expect to find them

Oregon’s wildest canyon isn’t where you’d expect

Central Oregon doesn’t look like a place that should have a canyon like this. You’re in juniper and sagebrush country, flat and open, and then the ground just drops away.

Rust-colored cliffs shoot up 600 feet from the Crooked River, and the whole thing looks more like Utah than the Pacific Northwest.

Travel Oregon put Smith Rock on its list of the state’s Seven Wonders, alongside Crater Lake, and once you’re standing at the rim, that makes complete sense.

Thirty million years of fire shaped these walls

The cliffs you see here didn’t form slowly. About 30 million years ago, a massive caldera collapsed into an underground magma chamber, sending rock and ash deep into the earth.

That material hardened into tuff, a dense volcanic rock. Later eruptions layered basalt lava flows on top.

Then the Crooked River spent millions of years cutting through those layers, carving the canyon and the spires that stand today.

The rock runs from dark brown and brick red to pale green and even lavender, depending on where you look.

The sport that changed American climbing started right here

In the early 1980s, a climber named Alan Watts began drilling bolts into the park’s smooth, near-vertical walls, opening routes that traditional gear couldn’t protect. Other climbers pushed back hard.

But Watts kept at it, and when he appeared on the cover of Mountain magazine in 1986, the world showed up. Today, Smith Rock has more than 2,000 climbing routes, including over 1,000 bolted lines.

Beginners can find slabs that ease them in. Experienced climbers can get on some of the hardest sport routes in the country.

Monkey Face watches over the whole canyon

Stand on the Misery Ridge Trail and look south. That freestanding pillar rising about 350 feet from the canyon floor is Monkey Face, and from the right angle, the resemblance is hard to miss.

Skilled climbers travel from across the country to work their way up it.

On some days, slackliners rig lines between the formation’s natural “mouth” openings and walk them high above the river. You don’t need to climb anything to enjoy it.

Find a spot on the trail and watch the action above you.

Misery Ridge earns its name, then pays you back

The Misery Ridge Loop covers 3.6 miles with about 910 feet of climbing. The first section doesn’t waste time, stairs and switchbacks cutting straight up the ridge.

At the top, the high desert opens in every direction.

The Crooked River threads through the canyon far below, and the Cascade Range lines the horizon, the Three Sisters, Mount Bachelor, Broken Top, Mount Jefferson, and on clear days, Mount Hood.

The descent swings close to Monkey Face before dropping to the flat River Trail. Most people who curse the climb on the way up go quiet on the way down.

Flat trails let everyone see the canyon up close

Not every trail here demands a hard effort. The River Trail runs 2.2 miles along the Crooked River with almost no elevation change, and it puts you right at the base of the cliffs. Families walk it.

Casual hikers walk it. The North Point Trail sits up on the basalt plateau above the canyon, short and flat, with benches and overlook views, and it’s wheelchair accessible.

The Canyon Trail follows the rim for about 1.6 miles with several spots to stop and look down at the river and walls below.

Mountain bikers and horseback riders have trails too

Smith Rock isn’t only a hikers’ park. Mountain bikers can ride the Canyon, Homestead, Summit, River, and Wolf Tree trails, and from there connect to Bureau of Land Management land for longer routes.

The terrain runs hard-packed clay with loose rock and some steep drops, which suits intermediate and advanced riders better than beginners.

Equestrian users have access to the Wolf Tree, Homestead, River, and Canyon trails, with two horse fords crossing the Crooked River at different points.

Trail runners show up regularly on the Summit Trail loop, a seven-mile circuit around the park.

Bald eagles have raised their young here for over a decade

A pair of bald eagles has returned to the same nest at Smith Rock for more than 10 years in a row. Golden eagles nest on the cliffs of the Monument area.

Prairie falcons, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, and osprey all live here too. Walk the River Trail between May and July and you have a good chance of watching the young birds learning to fly.

River otters, beavers, and mule deer turn up along the Crooked River as well. Binoculars help, but even without them, the birds are hard to miss.

Climbing closures protect the birds every spring

From around Jan. 10 through Aug. 1 each year, several climbing areas shut down so raptors can nest in peace. The Monument Area, Smith Rock Group, and First Kiss areas are among those closed.

The Canyon Trail near the bald eagle nest restricts groups to four or fewer people, and the park asks for quiet. Drones are banned during nesting season.

The closures cover only a fraction of the park’s routes, and all hiking trails stay open. The protections have worked, with both eagle species continuing to nest and raise young year after year.

The Summit Trail takes you around the whole park

Seven miles, 1,200 feet of climbing, and every angle of Smith Rock in one loop.

The Summit Trail circles the full park, running along ridgelines, through juniper and sagebrush, and back down to the river. At the highest point, you can see the entire Cascade Range spread across the west.

The Burma Road section descends past the Marsupial Crags, where climbers work the walls below you.

The trail links to several others, so you can cut it shorter or extend it, depending on how much ground you want to cover.

Watch climbers from the trail without touching a rope

The park sets up naturally for spectators. The Morning Glory Wall sits right along the start of the Misery Ridge Trail, and climbers are usually on it by mid-morning.

The Picnic Lunch Wall, a 700-foot cliff you can see from the parking area, often has climbers running multi-pitch routes up its face.

The Dihedrals area near Asterisk Pass draws climbers of all skill levels and sits close enough to the trail that you can hear them talking through their moves.

Bring binoculars if you want a closer look at the high routes.

Come in spring or fall for the best conditions

Central Oregon runs dry and sunny most of the year, which keeps Smith Rock open 365 days. That said, the season you pick matters.

Spring and fall sit in the sweet spot for hiking and climbing, cool enough to move comfortably on the trail.

Summer temperatures can push past 100 degrees, so if you come in July or August, start before 8 a.m. and bring more water than you think you need.

Winter brings cold and sometimes freezing temperatures, but also thinner crowds. The park opens at dawn and closes at dusk every day of the year.

Visit Smith Rock State Park in Oregon

You can find Smith Rock State Park near Terrebonne, about 40 minutes north of Bend off U.S. Highway 97. Day-use parking runs $10 per vehicle for Oregon residents and $12 for out-of-state visitors.

If you plan to come back, an annual pass costs $60 for residents and $75 for everyone else.

Walk-in tent camping at the Bivy Campground runs on a first-come, first-served basis from early spring through late fall. Dogs are welcome on leash.

The park has restrooms, a welcome center, picnic areas, and a children’s climbing wall near the trailhead.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Smith Rock, Oregon drops 600 feet of rust-red cliffs into the high desert for free
• Oregon put this rust-colored canyon on its Seven Wonders list and the rest of America is sleeping on it
• Oregon’s 30-million-year-old volcanic walls turned rock climbing upside down