Camp and Park for Free Then Come to a (Work) Party on National Trails Day at Smith Rock
May 18, 2023
banner image courtesy of Smith Rock Group
State Parks Day is also National Trails Day, and it means a lot more than just free parking and camping at Smith Rock State Park June 3-4. It’s also an opportunity to show your appreciation for one of the crown jewels of the State Park system, our beloved “Smitty.” There are multiple opportunities to give back to the park thanks to the volunteer organizations that help year-round to keep the park intact from the 900,000+ users each year.
Our local Smith Rock Group, known for its huge 300+ person annual event known as the Spring Thing, has launched a series of smaller, more focused reactive trail maintenance days known as Smith Rock Group Trail Days to help address the ongoing needs of the park.
They just responded to an emergency repair needed yesterday to rebuild a washed-out section of the popular Misery Ridge Trail due to recent downpours adding to the already desperate erosion that is occurring on the trail due to cutting switchbacks.
Wash-out covering the Misery Ridge Trail
image courtesy of Smith Rock Group
Smith Rock Group Trail Days Volunteer in action
image courtesy of Smith Rock Group
Smith Rock Group Trail Days Volunteers in action
image courtesy of Smith Rock Group
And the completed repair work done quickly by Smith Rock Group volunteers
image courtesy of Smith Rock Group
See how few people can make a big difference? You can too.
Jump on one of the two projects below On June 3, from 8am-2PM.
Another state-wide organization founded in 2007 by a group of concerned hikers in Oregon also does trail maintenance projects and is committed to making sure everyone has access to Oregon’s special places for years to come.” Trailkeepers of Oregon has a Smith Rock Trail Party also on June 3 for National Trails Day.
image courtesy of Trailkeepers of Oregon
While they don’t have specific project details, it will be focused on helping maintain the hiking trails at Smith Rock. Most of the hike to the work site is flat along the Crooked River, a total (Easy) hiking distance of 2 miles round trip. An elevation change of 800 feet is getting in and out of the Crooked River Canyon. The work difficulty rating is going to be Moderate.
Join the TrailKeepers of Oregon help restore trails at Smith Rock.
June 3, from 8:30AM-3:30PM.