Misery Ridge Trail Loop: Smith Rock State Park

misery on the trail can bring happiness especially outside, remember why you’re out there.

*Originally hiked: February 13, 2022

Webcams

Maps, Books and Gear Recommendations

1. Garmin inReach Mini2 – even though this park has service, it is still good to have a satellite communicator in case of emergency.
2. Climber’s Map of Smith Rock State Park
3. Hiking Oregon Book – I used this to find a lot of the hikes I went on when I was in Oregon these past two times.  So much more to explore!
4. Hydrapak Flux Collapsible water bottle – I take this everywhere we go, lightweight and can even take 2 for a whole 2 liters.  Recommended on this hike as it gets hot in summer and months and good to take extra water in case of emergency.

Hike Stats

Blabberings

What I liked about this trail a lot is it is dog friendly, so we were able to take our little guy on the adventure.  From the parking lot we trotted down all the way to the Crooked River. You have to cross a bridge to get onto the trail that will take you straight up step after step to the top viewpoint.  It was pretty miserable, and we dressed way too warm – better safe than sorry though.  

Our little puppy was able to almost do all the steps except the very large ones.  The viewpoint was pretty amazing, you could get a 360-degree view of the surroundings.  After a quick break and some water, we decided to take a different loop back – this was nice because a lot less people were on that side of the trail.

view of crooked river and food truck

The last part of the trail after descent was along the river and shaded, which was quite enjoyable.  All in all, this is a great hike for all levels and especially if you live close by great for training.  There are some picnic tables once you return near the parking lot, which is perfect for an afternoon getaway and picnic.

We did not picnic instead we decided to go find a food truck to go eat at, which is quite popular in Bend from what I hear.  What I liked about this place was that it had a brewing company and three different choices of food trucks.  The place is called Crosscut – Warming Hut No. 5; we chose to eat from the Bluma’s Chicken and Waffles (or I should say, not chose because it was a Sunday, and it was the only one open).  The food was so good even our puppy was happy to partake in eating what we got.

I hope you enjoyed this write up and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to write comments below. Happy Adventures! Annette

Webcams

Maps, Books and Gear Recommendations

1. Garmin inReach Mini2 – even though this park has service, it is still good to have a satellite communicator in case of emergency.
2. Climber’s Map of Smith Rock State Park
3. Hiking Oregon Book – I used this to find a lot of the hikes I went on when I was in Oregon these past two times.  So much more to explore!
4. Hydrapak Flux Collapsible water bottle – I take this everywhere we go, lightweight and can even take 2 for a whole 2 liters.  Recommended on this hike as it gets hot in summer and months and good to take extra water in case of emergency.

Hike Stats

Blabberings

What I liked about this trail a lot is it is dog friendly, so we were able to take our little guy on the adventure.  From the parking lot we trotted down all the way to the Crooked River. You have to cross a bridge to get onto the trail that will take you straight up step after step to the top viewpoint.  It was pretty miserable, and we dressed way too warm – better safe than sorry though.  

Our little puppy was able to almost do all the steps except the very large ones.  The viewpoint was pretty amazing, you could get a 360-degree view of the surroundings.  After a quick break and some water, we decided to take a different loop back – this was nice because a lot less people were on that side of the trail.

view of crooked river and food truck

The last part of the trail after descent was along the river and shaded, which was quite enjoyable.  All in all, this is a great hike for all levels and especially if you live close by great for training.  There are some picnic tables once you return near the parking lot, which is perfect for an afternoon getaway and picnic.

We did not picnic instead we decided to go find a food truck to go eat at, which is quite popular in Bend from what I hear.  What I liked about this place was that it had a brewing company and three different choices of food trucks.  The place is called Crosscut – Warming Hut No. 5; we chose to eat from the Bluma’s Chicken and Waffles (or I should say, not chose because it was a Sunday, and it was the only one open).  The food was so good even our puppy was happy to partake in eating what we got.

I hope you enjoyed this write up and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to write comments below. Happy Adventures! Annette

Permits, Directions, Weather

Permits:  The only way to access the park is to pay for a day use $5 fee, annual permits are available as well if you live in the area and will come often.  Here is so more information about the fees and permits.

Smith Rock State Park Directions

Smith Rock State Park Weather

Webcams

Maps, Books and Gear Recommendations

1. Garmin inReach Mini2 – even though this park has service, it is still good to have a satellite communicator in case of emergency.
2. Climber’s Map of Smith Rock State Park
3. Hiking Oregon Book – I used this to find a lot of the hikes I went on when I was in Oregon these past two times.  So much more to explore!
4. Hydrapak Flux Collapsible water bottle – I take this everywhere we go, lightweight and can even take 2 for a whole 2 liters.  Recommended on this hike as it gets hot in summer and months and good to take extra water in case of emergency.

Hike Stats

Blabberings

What I liked about this trail a lot is it is dog friendly, so we were able to take our little guy on the adventure.  From the parking lot we trotted down all the way to the Crooked River. You have to cross a bridge to get onto the trail that will take you straight up step after step to the top viewpoint.  It was pretty miserable, and we dressed way too warm – better safe than sorry though.  

Our little puppy was able to almost do all the steps except the very large ones.  The viewpoint was pretty amazing, you could get a 360-degree view of the surroundings.  After a quick break and some water, we decided to take a different loop back – this was nice because a lot less people were on that side of the trail.

view of crooked river and food truck

The last part of the trail after descent was along the river and shaded, which was quite enjoyable.  All in all, this is a great hike for all levels and especially if you live close by great for training.  There are some picnic tables once you return near the parking lot, which is perfect for an afternoon getaway and picnic.

We did not picnic instead we decided to go find a food truck to go eat at, which is quite popular in Bend from what I hear.  What I liked about this place was that it had a brewing company and three different choices of food trucks.  The place is called Crosscut – Warming Hut No. 5; we chose to eat from the Bluma’s Chicken and Waffles (or I should say, not chose because it was a Sunday, and it was the only one open).  The food was so good even our puppy was happy to partake in eating what we got.

I hope you enjoyed this write up and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to write comments below. Happy Adventures! Annette