Smith Rock

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Above, runners cool down at the finish line at the Monkey Face races at Smith Rock State Park. The park is home to numerous trails.

Smith Rock State Park draws rock climbers from all over the world and has plenty to offer for even the most casual visitor. The 600-acre park has trails (easy and challenging) a green and shady picnic area, a campground, and views that cannot be beat anywhere in the state.

Hikers who walk into the canyon have three choices after they cross the footbridge — right, left or up. The trail down to the river is a fairly steep dirt and gravel path, but fine for everyone but the least sure-footed. A walking stick helps. At the bottom of the trail is a picturesque footbridge, a water fountain and a toilet. At the footbridge if you turn left, you’ll follow the river for about two miles, past the majority of the climbing routes, so be sure to look up occasionally. This isn’t a loop.

If you take the right turn at the footbridge, the trail again hugs the river for slightly over a mile, but in a less rocky and wooded manner.

The Misery Ridge trail also starts its climb just across the footbridge and winds past Parking Lot Wall and Red Wall and descends on the west side past Monkey Face.

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