SMITH ROCK PARK – MISERY RIDGED HIKE

Smith Rock State Park is a place that may not belong on your bucket list but should. Smith Rock State Park is one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon. It is located within a forty-minute drive from the beautiful town of Bend. This makes it the ideal place to go hiking and rock climbing.

We knew that this hike would be challenging. It is a 3.8-mile (6.1 km) trail with a 1000-foot elevation gain.

Smith Rock State Park: Misery Ridge Hike

It was cold and rainy, but we had a local guide and photographer Bo Baumgartner who knew the Misery Ridge Loop Trail like the backs of his hands.

The trail begins at the Smith Rock Trail Head across the bridge. It takes you up a steep rocky path.

Hiking up Misery Ridge

Bo took each step quickly as I huffed, puffed, and struggled. As I spoke to him, I tried to look relaxed while keeping my heaves in check. While he told me about the scenery around us, I couldn’t hear him because I was trying to catch my breath as we hurried up the steep stairs.

Dave seemed less tired than I was during the early morning hike but later told me he would stop to take photos whenever he became exhausted. Here I thought that he was doing his job. It wasn’t bad at all. The hike up to the top was great, but I thought it was over when we arrived. I expected much worse misery. Although the walk to the top was steep, the views from the top were spectacular.

Beautiful Scenery

I could not help but pause often to admire the view below. I was amazed at how quickly we reached such a high elevation. After a half-hour, the top of the ridge is reached. The rest of the afternoon can be spent on a stroll.

There are some fun switchbacks and the occasional scramble. Our misery ridge hike was very windy, and the sky was overcast. It is the most challenging hike in Smith Rock State Park, and Mother Nature laughed today.

It could have been worse. Even though high winds were predicted, the rain did not fall during our walk.

Monkey Face

We viewed the views from the top until we reached the famous Monkey Face. Monkey Face is one of the most striking features in Smith Rock State Park. The 350-foot rock tower resembles the face of a monkey. It was impressive, even though I didn’t notice the similarity. If you know how to climb, you can do Monkey Face.

Sport Rock climbing at Smith Rock

We ended our day by the river, where we paused to watch some climbers attempt some more accessible routes. Smith Rock has some easy ways. Bo says that the volcanic rock is difficult to climb. The place looks fantastic to climb. Climbers can easily find routes that are suitable for their level of experience. Smith Rock State Park has more challenging sports climbing routes.

Bo said he hopes to conquer it one day. It has some of the most challenging sports and traditional routes in the entire world. “Good luck, Bo.”

We left him to it because there was a crutch and a stretcher in the emergency shelter located at the base of the crag. The cliffs are easily accessible, with the steps and paths carved along their edge, surrounded by neat wooden fences.

Smith Rock In Sunshine

Dave was disappointed by his photo opportunity because the weather conditions needed to improve during our Smith Rock trek. Instead of being upset, we changed our Lava Tub tour to the afternoon the next day and got up early the next morning to drive to Smith Rock to catch the spectacular beauty of early morning light.

Mother Nature has been kind today, and we have seen some beautiful views of Oregon.