Hiking in Smith Rock State Park in Central Oregon

Smith Rock State Park was one of the big surprises during my recent road trip through Oregon. I had visited Oregon once before in 2017 and returned in 2024 to discover new places. Smith Rock State Park was one of them. As a true hiking enthusiast, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this place, but WOW, it was incredible. In this article, I’ll tell you all about the stunning nature and hiking trails of Smith Rock State Park.

Smith Rock State Park is located about a 15-minute drive from Redmond, located in Central Oregon. It’s a relatively small natural area that you can easily explore in half a day. The brightly colored rocks are popular with climbers, who can be seen hanging from the vertical rock walls all around the park when the weather is good. You can enjoy beautiful hikes here, ranging from relatively easy to quite challenging.

The entrance fee for the park is $5 per vehicle per day. There is a parking lot and several restrooms. There’s also a climbers’ campground (first come, first served). Other than that, there are no facilities, but everything you might need can be found 10 miles down the road in the town of Redmond.

There are several hiking trails in Smith Rock State Park, ranging from easy to challenging. Since I’m not one to shy away from a tough hike, my travel buddy Marjolein and I decide to tackle the challenging Misery Loop Trail, a four-mile loop. On the Smith Rock State Park website, we read that it’s a strenuous hike over various scree fields with steep climbs and descents. Will it truly be a black-level (most difficult) trail, or should we take that warning with a grain of salt?

There’s just one bridge to cross the river, and after parking, we first have to descend quite a bit to reach it. Right after crossing, a steep climb begins. It’s steep, but not particularly difficult or dangerous. After a solid half hour of climbing, we reach the top and are rewarded with a stunning view of the rock formations and the river far below us. After a short break, we cross the ridge, thinking the descent is about to begin.

Suddenly, in the distance, The Three Sisters appear— a volcano with three peaks, each over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) high. To the right of them lies Mount Jefferson, also well over 3,000 meters. What an incredible view we have from up here.

A bit further along the trail, we run into a Dutch couple—our first Dutch encounter on this trip. They’ve been to the U.S. multiple times and are currently traveling from California to Seattle. Like us, they’re impressed by Smith Rock State Park. About half an hour later, I get a message on Instagram: “Hi, I thought that was you just now on the trail.” Turns out it was one of my followers, who started following me during that earlier trip through Oregon years ago. What a coincidence!

The descent isn’t difficult, and before we know it, we’re back down by the river. We follow it back to the bridge and cross it once again. One final climb awaits us, and a little while later, we return to the car—tired but satisfied. What an amazing hike!

We started the hike relatively early, as this is a hot region. In summer, temperatures can exceed 40°C (over 100°F), and you really don’t want to be hiking in the full sun then. The recommendation is to go as early as possible during those months. In early October, the temperature was pleasant. Be sure to bring plenty of water and some snacks, and wear hiking shoes with good grip.

We hiked the loop counterclockwise, but you can easily do it the other way around too—starting with the section along the river and finishing with a steep descent.
For more information about the hiking trails in Smith Rock State Park, visit this website.

The evening before the hike I stayed at SCP Redmond, a beautiful hotel right in the center of Redmon.

Booking your trip and more tips

• Flights from Europa to the Pacific Northwest can best be booked via Skyscanner. 
• For the best accommodations on the Pacific Northwest, please check Booking.com for a large variety of options. It’s recommended you book your accommodation well ahead as especially in the summer finding last minute availability is almost impossible. 
•  You will need a rental car to get around, check availability and rates here. I usually rent with Alamo.

I visited Smith Rock State Park as part of my road trip from Salt Lake City to Seattle. You can find the full itinerary of this road trip here. This isn’t an official or standard route, but one we put together ourselves.

During my trip of over three weeks, Smith Rock State Park turned out to be one of the biggest surprises along the way. It easily rivals the rock formations of Utah, combined with the kind of volcanic views you often see in the landscapes of Washington State. If your journey through Oregon takes you near Bend or Redmond, I can absolutely recommend a visit to Smith Rock State Park.

Want to read more about the United States? Then you might also enjoy the following articles:

• Things to do at Crater Lake National Park
• 24 Hours in Mount Hood
• Things to do in Oregon + route suggestion

Or keep reading on my America page, where you’ll find over 50 articles about the various road trips through the United States I’ve taken over the past 10 years.

I made this trip (partly) in collaboration with Delta Air Lines, Auto’s Huren, and Travel Oregon. All opinions expressed are, of course, entirely my own.

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