Hiking Smith Rock State Park

North America » United States » Oregon » Prineville
August 5th 2009

Published: September 29th 2009

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Smith Rock and Crooked River

Smith Rock State Park

We stood on a ridge watching the thick storm clouds roll in around us. I was back in my old hometown of Prineville, OR, after nearly five years away. During high school, the town (which has now ballooned to a population of nearly 10,000) seemed completely isolated from the rest of the world. Returning as a vehicle-wielding adult I am surprised to find that the brisk 3.5 hour drive from Eugene is astonishingly easy. The city of Bend, only thirty miles southwest of Prineville, is booming thanks to its dry climate and wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities. At one point it was one of the fastest growing areas of Oregon, especially popular with Californians seeking alpine slopes. However, the rapid growth also meant unpleasant traffic snarls and metropolitan sprawl, and I was happy to see Prineville had escaped the rapid urbanization.

Indeed, the town had retained its agricultural feel, and most of the businesses on Main Street were the same as in my youth. A good seven out of ten cars on the road were still pickup trucks, blaring country music and accessorized with gun racks, dogs, and bumper stickers. (On the flip side the town now has a Starbucks)

Misery Ridge Vista

Smith Rock State Park

The city is surrounded by farmland, the Ochoco National Forest, as well as miles of Juniper forest and high desert controlled by the Bureau of Land Management. Unfortunately, the recession has hit the town quite hard. The two main employers, Les Schwab Tires and the lumber mill, have both experienced massive layoffs - Les Schwab recently moving its headquarters to Bend. One resident we spoke with estimated the unemployment rate to be around 26%.

We drove around, and I excitedly showed Craig my old school, neighborhood, favorite haunts, and the butte I used to climb as a child searching for wildlife. We stopped at Toni’s, a trailer on the side of the road serving up huge portions of barbeque…ribs, chicken, potato salad and beans. It was a fun afternoon, but the purpose of our trip to Central Oregon wasn’t to revisit memory lane. We had come to camp at Smith Rock State Park, just a twenty minute drive away in the community of Terrebonne. In spite of its reputation for world class rock-climbing, we found Smith rock to be relatively quiet and mercifully free of the crowds that plague other Oregon state parks during the height of summer.

Monkey Face

Smith Rock State Park

We set up camp in the designated bivouac site, a low-key cluster of tent sites scattered in a dusty area between tangled junipers, with a spectacular view of the rock. The crowd seemed to be equally laid-back, all climbers and hikers with sporty tents rather than lumbering RV’s. One group strolled casually past us bearing bongos and guitars. We arrived back at camp ready for an evening hike, only to find that the thunderstorm had followed us. Given the menacing look of the clouds we opted out. While Oregonians don’t generally mind getting wet, the frequent bursts of lightening descending from the clouds proved to be much more threatening. With this in mind, we retreated to the car, watching the storm break around us and lash the high desert with thunder, lightening, and rain for the next forty-five minutes. The end of the squall coincided with dusk, and everyone emerged from their hiding places just in time to witness one of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. The murky weather accentuated the colors of the fleeing sun, turning the sky into a brilliant mixture of glowing orange and red.

We hadn’t brought any padding to sleep on,

Heron + Tree

Smith Rock State Park

and spent the night tossing and turning on the hard ground. Our sleeplessness turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as we decided to take advantage of the early hour and begin the hike around 5:30 am…early enough to beat the intense 100 degree heat. There are two main hikes at Smith Rock: one which follows the crooked river as it circles the massive basalt cathedral, and another which climbs steeply over it. We managed to squeeze in both in a span of about four hours; first tackling the short but taxing climb up Misery Ridge. The top of the ridge afforded breathtaking views of the sprawling countryside and distant Cascade Mountains. We were also able to get a look at “Monkey Face”, a giant pillar of rock that nearly perfectly resembles its namesake. Monkey Face is a famously difficult climb, its sheer, vertical sides for levels 5.8 and up.

We scrambled down the other side and began a more level jaunt along the river, watching rock climbers begin to ascend the some of Smith Rock’s steep walls. One amazing thing about the area is the variation of terrain. While the rock itself appears to be something dropped

Smith Rock

from mars, the land around the river is lush and green. We saw a wide variety of birdlife, as well as many deer. Smith Rock is a spectacular place, and a true geological wonder. It is amazing how small one feels in the presence of such a sublime landscape. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for the awe-inspiring…

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