One Of The 'Seven Wonders Of Oregon' Is A Rock-Climbing State Park With Gorgeous Golden Cliffs

Out in the Oregon high desert, wind from the snow-capped Three Sisters Range blows down over the quiet, artsy mountain town of Sisters and the snaking bends of the Crooked River to kiss the golden cliffs and dramatic spires of Smith Rock State Park. Smith Rock has served as a backdrop for films and focus of TV shows, capturing the imaginations of millions. The park is deemed one of Travel Oregon's "7 Wonders of Oregon" and it's easy to see why. From Native tribes to westward expansionists to ambitious trappers to modern rock climbers, Smith Rock has long drawn people to its trails, ridges, and riverbends.

Nestled just half an hour up US 97 from the adventure town of Bend with its famous art and craft beer scene, and practically a part of Terrebonne, Oregon, Smith Rock is easy to get to. Incidentally, Bend Municipal Airport is also the nearest airport. Once you're at Smith Rock your options are as vast as the otherworldly high desert and its unmatched hiking trails  that roll south from Smith Rock through the Oregon Badlands Wilderness. The scenery has been featured in tourism ads and outdoor magazines, and even landed on a beer label. The opportunity to indulge your inner adventurer, though, is the real draw. The road biking is superb. The mountain biking is challenging but rewarding, and even open in the winter since the area is so dry that it mostly stays free of snow. And while Smith Rock is most notably a global epicenter for rock climbers, the camping and hiking are also pretty epic. 

It would be tough to find a place with more iconic outdoor adventures. The Sisters to Smith Rock Scenic Bikeway (part of the Three Sisters Scenic Bikeway that connects central Oregon) is one of Oregon's most cherished. Once you're in Smith Rock, trade your road bike for a mountain bike and rip clay and scree trails. Just make sure you have your biking head on because there are some rowdy descents. If you prefer to stay on your feet there are a lot of great hiking options. The Misery Ridge trail is legendary enough for Oregon-based Nike to name one of its top-of-the-line waterproof jackets after it. The trail also takes you to a few of the many celebrated rock climbing walls that put Smith Rock on the map.

Smith Rock is considered the birthplace of American sport climbing. The community that powers Mountain Project has catalogued over 1,400 climbs there, from easy sport climbs to classic objectives like Monkey Face (home to one of the toughest climbs in the world, a monster named "Just Do It"). Officially there are even more. Given Smith Rock's accessibility and its many climbs that are rated in the 5.14s on a scale that tops out at 5.15s, Smith Rock would be a great place to train for the iconic Yosemite Park climb El Capitan where the toughest routes are also rated 5.14, albeit more sustained. Regardless your skill or ambitions, there are plenty of climbs for you at Smith Rock. 

Add the camping and imagine the possibilities. Get up early and road bike to Bend for breakfast. Head back to Smith Rock for some hiking and climbing in the afternoon shade. Tack on a sunset mountain bike ride to get a little excitement before settling into camp. And if you're feeling social, maybe take some time to swap stories with the other adventurers at Bivy Campground.

Like many western must-visits, Smith Rock has a long and colorful history. The park is named after U.S. Cavalry Private Volk Smith who died falling from a rock during a battle with the local Natives. There were quite a few hostile exchanges with the local tribes around Smith Rock. Which of course points to the fact that Native Americans had been coming there since long before non-Native settlers came west. According to Warm Springs Confederated Tribal Elder Wilson Wewa, though, Smith Rock was originally known as Animal Village. The Paiute tribe has a legend that Smith Rock was first populated by animals who could communicate and think like people. Parts of the landscape are the result of an evil giant who had been tricked and killed by a coyote, as Wewa tells in a recording for outdoor clothing company Patagonia.

In more recent history, Alan Watts is the Oregon man who put Smith Rock on the map. Watts began climbing and establishing bolted routes on the walls there in the 1970s and in 1986 a picture of him graced the cover of Mountain magazine. From that point on Smith Rock was an international destination and its shorter, varied climbs, now considered sport climbing routes, inspired a new craze at Smith Rock and all over America. Watts' 2023 guide book "Rock Climbing Smith Rock" lists over 2,200 climbs at Smith Rock. 

From "the animal people" of Animal Village to the Paiute, Warm Springs, and Wasco tribes to the immigrants and U.S. Cavalry to the rock climbers, the draw of Smith Rock State Park's golden cliffs and swaying river is undeniable. If nothing else, it makes a perfect finale to tack onto a couple day float down Central Oregon's wild and scenic Deschutes River. No doubt you'll leave with a few new stories of your own.