Discover Three Great Hikes at Smith Rock State Park

Smith Rock State Park in Terrebonne, Oregon is home to over 1000 rock climbing routes and miles of hiking trails. Whether you love to stroll along the river or prefer epic views from up high, you will find great hiking trails at Smith Rock. In this post I am sharing three hikes at Smith Rock that offer stunning scenery along the way. The first is the Crooked River Trail, followed by the most challenging Misery Ridge Trail and lastly a route that includes the Homestead Trail with a couple extra side trails to explore.

Crooked River Trail Hiking Guide

Hiked August 2018

The Crooked River Trail (also known as the River Trail) follows the Crooked River and is a great option if you are not up for climbing Misery Ridge.

Enjoying the views from the River Trail with Monkey face in the far distance. This stretch makes a nice backdrop for a photo and was our turn around spot.

The money shot. There are lots of beautiful views on this hike, but this one with the rock formation reflection in the river is my favorite!

From this angle, you can really see why it’s called Monkey Face! Note: Our trusty dog Ginger came with us on two of the three hikes and while she did great on the River Trail, Misery Ridge was a lot for her due to the lack of shady places to cool down. Make sure if you bring a pup along, you pack water for them as well.

Misery Ridge Hiking Guide

Hiked July 2017 and March 2022

My best advice for climbing Misery Ridge is to pick a cool day or start very early in the morning. The first time I hiked Misery Ridge was on a hot 90 degree July day. This trail has very minimal shade and you will feel every bit of those 90 degrees as you ascend up the many sets of stairs. The second time was a much cooler day and what a difference. It was still challenging, but not nearly as miserable.

The Misery Ridge Trial begins with a series of Zig-Zag switchbacks at the base of Picnic Lunch Wall. As the sign indicates, this is the most difficult trail in the park.

The view from up top makes the trek up worth the climb. Grab a nearby rock and relax while eating lunch with one of the best views in Central Oregon.

The money shot! Hiking Smith Rock on a clear day will reward you with fantastic views of the Three Sisters

Rock Climbers on Monkey Face at Smith Rock

The route back down from Misery Ridge provides an excellent view of rock climbers navigating over to Monkey Face rock.

Climbers on top of Monkey Face with Mt Jefferson in the distance.

Views of the Crooked River from a hike at Smith Rock State Park.

After passing Monkey Face, you will eventually find your way to the River Trail which will take you back to the bridge where you will cross and begin your ascent up the Chute to the parking lot.

North Point Loop to Homestead Trail to Wolf Tree Trail Hiking Guide

Hiked Feb 2022

If you’re looking for an easy trail with stunning views and have a couple hours, this route is a great option. We started at the back end of the overflow parking lot just meandering around this section we’ve never explored. Curiosity got the best of us, so we continued past the North Point trail and continued hiking until we connected to the Homestead Trail.

Beautiful rock formations jutting out in the distance as you walk along the upper section of the North Point Loop.

Connect with the Homestead Trail and head down the switchbacks. As you get closer to the river, the trail gets steep as you continue to descend into the park. This area is full of loose gravel and is easy to slip if you’re not careful. (I don’t have any photos because I stowed my camera on the way down.)

Once you make it to the Crooked River it flattens out again as you walk along the river bank section of the Homestead trail.

Once you cross the bridge, take a right to connect with the Wolf Tree Trail. (Note: If you take a left on the far side of the bridge, you will be on the Crooked River Trail mentioned earlier.)

Getting Back

When you’re done exploring the other side of the river, cross back over the bridge to return to the Homestead trail. Once on the other side you can either hike up The Chute or back the way you came on the North Point Trail. We’ve hiked up the Chute several times and it’s pretty steep so we returned up the switch backs.

Keep in mind the weather can change quickly in this area, especially in the winter. Although our February hike started out sunny and blue, the weather turned and it began snowing!

Here is a map I created of this route: