S4 Hike #8 Smith Rock

Smith Rock State Park

Starting Location: parking lot - Welcome Center

Point of Interest : Smith Rock, rock formations, Crooked River

Length of hike: 

Level: Misery Ridge trail is hard, to to steepness, some loose gravel. River trail is easy.

Bathrooms: at main parking lot, and down by river.

Parking: Decent paved lot along the road. 

EV Chargers: No


We got here around 9am, hoping to get the hard climb out of the way before it got hot. The parking lot along the road was already full, so we parking the the overflow/RV parking on the South side. Not too long of a walk to the welcome center. 

Obviously there were groups who had come early and were finished hiking. There were a lot of people, but it didn't feel too crowded. There are trails for everyone.
Our first time at Smith Rock. We decided to do the Misery Ridge loop, which includes the Mesa Verda trail which joins with the river trail to bring you back to the beginning. 


The Misery Ridge trail is aptly named, mostly due to steepness. It's only a mile long, but it took us a little over an hour to get to the high point. The view, however, is worth it.



Then we came down the "back side" of the rock, facing West. Most people were doing the hard part first, but the loop is a loop, so you can go either way.










Monkey Face Rock is on the West side, with a gorgeous view. This is pretty steep coming down.

 On the way back from Smith Rock is Juniper Junction, where you can get some souvenirs, and some yummy ice cream to rehydrate.


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