The views along the trail were incredible the whole way. It was definitely a workout, but totally worth it.

Smith Rock State Park is a must see! It’s absolutely beautiful! The trails are well maintained and there’s something for everyone !

We've been here several times. The most difficult hike we've taken was Misery Ridge. I'm writing from a different perspective this time. We're visiting Central OR to celebrate the end of my cancer treatment. Greatly weakened by impact of chemo, surgery, radiation, and immunotherapy, I wasn't sure about visting. But we did! We arrived on a Saturday afternoon. We didn't do any hiking. We wandered around, took great pics of the Crooked River and the rock, identified hikes that we could see from where we stood, saw a big snake and lots of birds. It was good to breathe the air, be grateful to have survived so far, and set a hiking goal for next time.

Gorgeous hike! We hiked up Burma Road to Summit Trail then the Misery Ridge Loop. This was about 6.5 - 7 miles. It was challenging, and coming down the front of Misery Ridge was definitely scary in some areas, but it was worth the effort - the views and scenery are incredible! Wear good hiking or trail shoes as some parts are loose and gravely and you'll want the traction. Bring water and wear sunscreen!

Since 2021, I am on a quest to visit all 63 US National Parks. So, as I planned for Crater Lake NP, I made a decision to visit Smith Rock as important as Crater Lake. I had visited the high desert of Easter Oregon in 2017 but had somehow missed this park. However, since I had seen it everywhere listed as one of if not the best state park in the country.With my wife and two additional couples, we made every effort to visit this park, and it was simply amazing. After spending three days in the volcanic forest of Crater Lake, you can't believe this place is part of Oregon. It is small but the scenery within it is incredible and some of the best rocks I have seen anywhere. It is made for pictures and the verdant valleys of the Crooked River contrast so dramatically with the desert rock walls it cuts through. There really aren't words to describe it and the pictures will not do it full justice. We did not have the most time, so we simply hiked the River Trail as an out and back around the main corner of the Crooked River. What we did see was amazing and that does not really include the elevation of the rocks. Do not miss this place as it is incredible, equal to any National Park in quality but simply not size.