November 20, 2025

Almost a year ago, exactly, we took a walk with Smith Rock State Park Manager Matt Davey at the location of the proposed and approved Visitor Center project to replace the currently donated yurt Welcome Center with a new 2,400-square-foot facility. The Visitor Center, along with improvements to and an extension of the Rim Rock Trail to the north end of the park, was one of the projects approved to receive funds from bond sales. Additionally, Oregon Parks and Recreation was recently awarded a Land and Water Conservation Grant to help fund construction. Now it’s all on hold and fees will be increasing January 1, 2026.

Oregon State Parks Department (OPRD) is projecting a $14 million operations budget shortfall this biennium due to a projected decrease in Lottery revenue, increasing costs, and a long-standing need for more sustainable funding. The department does not receive general fund tax revenue for operations. OPRD has chosen to focus on projects to extend the life of existing facilities rather than add new ones.

THE BUDGET IMPACT AT SMITH ROCK STATE PARK STARTS NEXT WEEK, NOVEMBER 28, 2025, with NO GREEN FRIDAY FREE PARKING

In addition to not waiving the parking fee on Green Friday, you’ll need to pay for parking on your First Day Hike on January 1, 2026, which is traditionally also free. The biggest impact is to the annual parking fee permit, doubling for Oregon residents from $30 to $60/per year, with a surcharge for out-of-state visitors bringing their annual permit to $75.

The 24-month parking permits will be discontinued in 2026; however, existing permits will be honored until they expire.

June 27, 2025

Yes, we have confirmation that starting July 1, 2025, (some) electric-assisted bikes will be allowed on all trails at Smith Rock State Park where bikes are currently sharing the trail with hikers. The “but” portion is about making this work the best way possible for ALL. That includes respecting the rules on the types of e-bikes that qualify, as well as respecting those with whom you share the trail. And above all, respect for the fragile ecosystem that already sees up to a million visitors per year. More on this later in the article. While education remains the primary focus for rule enforcement at Oregon State Parks, enforcement rangers do have the authority to issue citations, which carry fines starting at $100 for significant or repeated violations of park rules.  

First, some clarity on what is allowed and where.

Here’s a snapshot OF THE pedal-assist e-bikes that will be allowed on bike-approved trails at Smith Rock State Park.

WHAT’S ALLOWED SPELLED OUT

• Class 1: Provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 mph.

• Class 2: May be propelled by its motor without a rider pedaling and ceases to provide assistance once the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 mph.

• Class 3: Provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 mph, and is equipped with a speedometer.
  
  The rules apply to Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes as defined by the Oregon State Legislature. Anything not included in those e-bike classifications is considered a motor vehicle and is not allowed on trails.  
  

WHERE ARE THE E-BIKES ALLOWED? Basically where bikes are allowed currently in the park

• Canyon Trail

• Homestead Trail (restricted on the uphill/downhill portion)

• River Trail

• Summit Trail

• Wolf Tree Trail

AND NOW BACK TO THE “BUT…”

While e-bikes CAN go on the trails once open only to mountain bikes, don’t forget that those trails are full of bi-peds too, or hikers. And their dogs. And wildlife that need a wide berth, such as snakes crossing the trail. After all, you’re the visitor on their turf. This translates to taking responsibility for safe and courteous riding behavior around ALL living species. If you don’t, the privilege of e-bikes in the park goes away for all.

Here’s some trail etiquette to follow to help keep others safe:

• Yield to pedestrians, horses, and slower users 

• Announce yourself when passing (“On your left”) 

• Ride at a safe, controlled speed, especially around corners or in high-use areas 

• Slow down near pets, children, and equestrians 

• Stay on designated trails: do not ride off-trail 

• Be prepared to stop: e-bikes are heavier and often faster than regular bikes 
  
  

And last, but certainly not least, DON’T TRAVEL IN PACKS. That’s just rude. Every one deserves a fun day at the park.

January 4, 2025

You probably thought the Bald Eagle was already our national bird if you were like us. That's not the case. The Great Seal of the United States was created in 1782 when our victory over Great Britain was imminent. Even that took an act of Congress to happen. Well, it took another one to make Baldy our national bird and signed into law on December 23, 2024. Here at Smith Rock, we’ve always held them in high esteem, fawning over their mating and nesting rituals for over a decade since they chose a favorite spot where we watch them nourish their young each year until they fledge.

Some more possibly unknown history. Eagles have adorned national emblems since the early Roman Empire, but they were symbolic generic types never found in nature. As the Bald Eagle was a bona fide species and native to North America, The Founders chose it for the seal. And while Native Americans embraced the Bald Eagle as a spirit bird and relative for thousands of years, by the late 19th century sightings of the majestic creature were rare in the East and Midwest, as settling Americans tried to exterminate them over accusations of stealing livestock and kidnapping babies. It took until 1940 for Congress to protect them from willful harm. 5 years later DDT hit the market to help control insects. By 1963 only 487 nesting pairs were left in an already unstable population due to poisoning from the chemical. With the EPA ban on the domestic sale of DDT in 1972, and the placement of the Bald Eagles on the endangered species list until 2007, the population continued to rebound, with over 500,000 as of June 2024.

Phew—that’s a lot to go through to finally reach national bird status! A big thanks to the Minnesotans at the National Eagle Center and the Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes representing 35 indigenous nations adopting a resolution of support, helping to get it codified in law with members of Congress from Minnesota. So when you head over to the Bivy ledge (in small and quiet groups, no dogs please) this nesting season, celebrate with your “inside voice” and give these majestic creatures their due.

Thanks also to photographer Charlie Busa for these amazing shots from the last part of 2024, including the header. We look forward to seeing and sharing more of the Bald Family nesting season!

November 26, 2024

We took a walk this month with Smith Rock State Park Manager Matt Davey at the location of the upcoming Visitor Center project to replace the currently donated yurt Welcome Center with a 2400-square-foot facility. Matt helped provide context to the bullet points of the Oregon Parks & Rec press release, including the proposed location, structural considerations, timeline, and more in our video. The Visitor Center was one of the projects approved to receive funds from bond sales. In addition, Oregon Parks and Recreation was recently awarded a Land and Water Conservation Grant to help fund construction. Now the process begins.

We meet Matt at the entrance sign to the park, next to the “RV Parking Lot,” where he describes the first glimpse we will get of the new Visitor Center behind the parking area and approaching the canyon rim, with a low profile from the road. Matt explains that where he is standing is likely to become a shuttle or bus drop-off zone. Later in the video, Matt expands on how views of the park walls from the road and from neighbors’ homes will be minimally impacted due to the curvature of the land where the building will be located as well as structural considerations.

The 2400 square-foot structure includes a main interpretative area, a desk with a greeting area, interpretative panels, and floor to ceiling windows offering direct views of the canyon from inside. Four fully accessible restrooms will be housed in a separate building that will always remain open across a breezeway from the main area. The Visitor Center will also provide water bottle fillers, drinking fountains, and bike racks.

As we mentioned earlier, the slope of the land becomes an asset to having the structure not impede the dramatic views. As Matt stands along the canyon rim, he shows how the proposed Overlook works with the contours of the rim and connects to an extended Rim Rock Trail that becomes a connection to the North Point area of the park without having to walk through the parking lot.

There’s lots more to learn about, including a proposed new Canyon Trail pedestrian-only extension that comes directly off of the new Visitor Center. Find out about operating hours, the project timeline, and the impacts of construction on your upcoming park visit once all the dirt starts flying.

April 7, 2024

Dr. Cassandra (Cassie) Fallscheer followed her passion for math into the stars. While studying high-energy particle physics in college, she was awestruck after attending a talk on astronomy. It was then that she was drawn to the beauty and mystery of the cosmos and her small place in the vastness of the universe. She hasn’t stopped looking up since. Lucky for us, her passion included sharing a closer view with the rest of us. Her non-profit, The Asterisk Observatory, partnered with a local landowner “to allow people to appreciate and learn about the dark skies of Oregon” from the rim of the Lower Gorge near Smith Rock State Park.

Growing up in the dark outskirts of northern California, Cassie would often sleep out on the deck, dozing off after stargazing. But then life took her to more urban settings for a long time. She longed to get back to her stars, and so she eventually moved to dry eastern Washington in 2013 where she felt more in tune with the night skies again. A few times on her drive back to northern California to see her family, she fed a new passion, rock climbing. And what better place to stop along the way than Smith Rock?

Climbing by day, sleeping under the stars by night at the Smith Rock Bivy, Cassie knew she had to build an observatory in one of Oregon’s least light-polluted areas. Smith Rock over the years has moved into the “Blue” zone of light pollution, but Bend, just 22 miles away, is “Red.” Parts of the Oregon Outback are still “Black.”

After bringing a small telescope to an event held in the fall of 2022 on the property where lots of people checked out planets, nebulae, star clusters, galaxies and more, Cassie contacted the owner and started to develop plans to put a telescope on the property. “I learned how to start a business, and then how to run it (well, still learning!),” she laughs.

Needing to build a structure to protect her investment, the heavy lifting started in the fall of 2023, with the opening day in March of 2024. Together with her astronomy team— Dr. Jesse Feddersen, an instructor on topics from eclipses to black holes at the University of Oregon, and Grant Tandy, currently leading weekly sidewalk astronomy programs in Bend, they provide a hosted experience from now through October between the 3rd quarter and 1st quarter lunar phases when the sky is darkest. Your group’s visit to the observatory includes an overnight stay at The Spot At Smith Rock for up to 6 people. Group sizes of 8 or 10 can be accommodated for an additional cost. All hosted experiences include a short educational presentation, night sky observing through their 17-inch PlaneWave telescope, a guided constellation tour, stargazing, and a Q & A period with hot beverages, and run about 90 minutes with a start time dependent on the time of sunset at that time of year.

Stargazing with the Marsupials in the background courtesy of Richard Lawrence Harrington

The sunrise over the Asterisk Observatory courtesy of Richard Lawrence Harrington

While you missed the “Swoon at the Moon & Fun With the Sun” public event on March 16, 2024, Cassie plans to have a few free and open-to-the-public viewing events at the Asterisk Observatory at the Spot at Smith Rock per year. You can contact them with any questions about their mission, organization, collaborations, events, or hosted experiences. Until then, book a hosted experience and keep looking up! (Except when driving into the park, thank you.)

March 10, 2024


Springing forward for Daylight Savings Time is often associated with “Hatch Time,” at least for the Bald Eagles Smith Rock State Park. At the time of this post, we only know of their two eggs, as shown in the header image taken on February 29 by Terry W. Smith of “Images On The Outside.” The Golden Eagles are much harder to know about, as their nests are huge and deep on the walls of the Monument Area, so we don’t have a headcount on the number they are expecting yet. Thank you to each of the photographers who brave the elements to bring us such magnificent images!

Here’s what we do know:

• On January 2, 2024, courtship began, and nesting raptor protections went into effect for both the Bald and Golden Eagles.

• The Monument Area closed to climbing beginning January 5th, 2024 for Golden Eagle nesting. (Usually until Aug. 1)

• Peregrine and Prairie Falcons climbing closures have not gone into effect yet. (Usually Feb. 1-July 15)

• On February 29, 2024 two eggs were photographed on the Bald Eagle nest.

FEBRUARY 2024 BALD EAGLE ACTIVITY (click on the images to enlarge)

February 4-11, 2024, Charlie Busa Photography:
Nest prep time.

February 18, 2024, Charlie Busa Photography:
It’s cold out there…

February 18, 2024, Charlie Busa Photography:
Enjoying some flying time together before the eggs come.

February 29, 2024, Matt Oliphant Photography:
”The incubation process has begun and now we wait for the magic to unfold. These are some moments I captured of the beautiful adult female at the nest from this past week. During this fragile stage, the egg(s) need to be maintained at a consistent temperature of around 105 degrees. The female tends to do most of the sitting on the eggs. While the male watches guard of the nest and hunts food for the family.”

February 29, 2024, Terry W. Smith “Images On The Outside”:
The two eggs are photographed!

FEBRUARY 2024 GOLD EAGLE ACTIVITY (click on the images to enlarge)

February 13, 2024, Darrin Underwood Photography:
“Fingers crossed for another successful eagle nesting year. Final nest preparations are being made at both the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle nests. The Golden Eagle nest is on a cliffside about 1,300 feet from where I’m standing. The Bald Eagle nest is about 300 feet away. For scale, the Golden Eagle nest on the cliff is about 8 feet high by 10 feet wide at the widest part.”

March 2024 BALD EAGLE ACTIVITY (click on the images to enlarge)

March 3, 2024, Charlie Busa Photography:
Switching out on the nest at first, then the other takes off.

March 6, 2024, Sheryl French Photography:
”They are in here somewhere.”

March 8, 2024, Sheryl French Photography:
”No, I’m not going to let you see them.”

March 10, 2024, Charlie Busa Photography:
”Make sure you get my good side.”

MARCH 2024 GOLDEN EAGLE ACTIVITY (click on the images to enlarge)

March 10, 2024, Charlie Busa Photography:
Checking on the egg(s)? and then off to get food.

July 4, 2023


2023 has been a banner year for the Bald Eagle family at Smith Rock State Park. Mom and Dad Bald are now empty-nesters, with the two surviving eaglets now spreading their wings around the neighborhood. While we all mourn the loss of one of the three that were born this year, we recognize that it’s part of nature, along with the ongoing challenges of “eat or be eaten” in the animal kingdom.

• On January 9, 2023, courtship began, and nesting raptor protections went into effect for both the Bald and Golden Eagles.

• On March 9, the first of 3 Bald Eaglets hatched.

• On April 27 or 28, one of the Eaglets died.

• On June 12, the first of the two remaining Eaglets fledged.

• On June 22, the remaining Eaglet fledged.

Here’s a monthly photo capsule of the season, in amazing detail, captured by a group of four talented and dedicated photographers that let us share their images with you. Thanks so much, Charlie Baughman, Sheryl French, Matt Oliphant, and Rebecca Taylor!

(Best seen on a big monitor. Click on any of the smaller images to enlarge them, then on the “x” in the top right corner to close the window.)

FEBRUARY 2023

February 16, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
“Always love these moments when I catch them in the act chatting up a storm like this. So primal and epic.”

February 26, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
“And now we wait.”

March 2023

March 2 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”Bald Eagle at Smith Rock flying up to the nest with long grasses it snagged out of the river, on the fly without stopping.”

March 9, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
“The mama eagle continues to incubate while the male watches guard. You can tell by the look and intense focus of the male that he is honing in on something. Always so fun watching these two.”

March 16, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
“The incubation continues for the mama eagle. Truly amazing how dedicated and determined she is and will for the most part stay dialed in the nest for a solid ~35 days. At this stage, she has been actively incubating for a good 3 weeks.”

March 22, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”One eaglet so far. It hatched sometime yesterday. You can see the gray fluff ball to the right of the parent’s tail.”

March 26, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”Bald Eagle carrying grass to the nest at Smith Rock State Park.”

March 26, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”What a nice day Sunday was.  I saw 2 chicks in the nest and I heard recently that there are now 3 chicks. The larger chick was pecking on a much smaller chick that I hope can grow up enough to fight back.  The chicks are about 5 days old. One of the adults did a nice spiral dive down to the nest and then traded places with the other adult. The sitter became a flyer and vice versa. They are good parents.”

March 26, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
Two little baby eaglets made their first appearance in the high desert (if you look closely you can see two small fuzzy gray heads!) This was the adult male doing a little nesting duty with the babies while the female took flight to stretch her wings!

March 26, 2023, Photographer Rebecca Taylor:
”It looks like our Bald Eagles are proud parents of 3 new eaglets!”

March 27, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”Yesterday at the Bald Eagle nest one adult flew down in a spiral dive and landed in the tree. The other parent was cuddling up to the 2 chicks. One of the 5 day old chicks is smaller and has been beaten up by the larger one. I will check on it in a couple days to see if it makes it. The parents exchanged places and the sitter became the flyer.”

March 29, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”Today at the Bald Eagle nest I was able to see all 3 chicks being fed. They are about a week old. The parents exchange places on a regular basis by tending the nest or flying away.”

March 30, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
”My last high desert eagle post mentioned about two baby eaglets! Well during my last visit to check on them and see how they are doing. There are now 3 eaglets!! This particular scene was captured yesterday evening! The mama eagle is hard at work tending to these 3 voracious eaters! The second image was the female calling to her mate that’s it’s time for dinner for these little guys!”

April 2023

April 6, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”A sunny day at the Bald Eagle nest on Wed 4/6 was very active. After visiting the nest with all 5 birds, the male launched.”

April 9, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”Bringing home dinner.”

April 9, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
”These little guys continue to grow at an exceptional rate! It’s quite mind-boggling to think that by June these guys will be as big as their parents.”

April 10, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”You can see the eaglets are starting to get big feet.”

April 17, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
”These guys are growing way too fast! The adult eagles have their beaks and talons full keeping the little ones satisfied!! I’m always amazed at the incredible growth development/pace eaglets take on over the course of 3ish months.”

April 19, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”3 Chicks have a discussion at 4 weeks old as mom looks on. One parent launches.”

April 20, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”Testing of the wings.”

April 21, 2023, Photographer Rebecca Taylor:
”Portrait of father (I think) & son (31 days old.)”

April 24, 2023, Photographer Rebecca Taylor:
”The family has something to say when a parent brings back nesting material instead of dinner.”

April 27, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”You can see how their feathers are turning black.”

April 28, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
”Man oh man are these guys GROWING UP!! They are beginning to look more and more like their parents with each passing day. It’s hard to imagine that in less than a few months they will be the same size as their parents and will effectively be on their own later this summer!!

April 29, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”I am so sad one of the Smith Rock, Eaglets died either yesterday or this morning. You can see it at the back of nest resting its head on the branch to the left. The father moved it from the front/middle of the nest to the back and the mother brought in the tuft of grass that is in front of it. One the sibling eaglets laid by it a lot today. These pictures were taken at the time of day when the light is harsh on the nest. The 2nd photo has one of the siblings laying by the deceased sibling. The 3rd photo has the other sibling looking at it.”

April 29, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”This is after one parent moved the deceased eaglet to the edge of the nest. The other parent came in with that tuft of grass. You can see as one of the parents flies off one of the eaglet siblings continues to lay by the deceased eaglet. Sorry for the harsh lighting on the nest. The mother is the larger of the two parents.”

April 29, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”Also after the parent moved the deceased eaglet. You can see the deceased eaglet in between the parent and other dark eaglet. The parent stayed at the edge for quite awhile along with the dark eaglet until the other parent came in the tuft of grass.”

April 29, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
”One of the chicks died but there are still 2 left. Mom dives from the nest and snags a bird from the river. The bird had a green band #254.”

MAY 2023

May 1, 2023, Photographer Rebecca Taylor:
”It has been so interesting watching two eaglets which are 3 or 4 days apart on the same nest. It's not totally evident in this photo but the one on the left is just starting to turn from the gray wooly down to the brown & black feathers more evident on the sibling. When they are laying down (which they do a lot of) you really notice the gray vs. very dark brown color difference.”

May 3, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
“This Bald Eagle made several circles over a group of Geese and 5 goslings hoping for an opportunity to catch one of them before they dove or hid behind an adult. The adults appeared ferocious and the eagle finally gave up and flew back to the nest. The 2 eaglets in the nest are now 6 weeks old.”

May 10, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”I am out of here kids.”

May 11, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”Growing up.”

May 17, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”Sassy.”

May 18, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman:
“Eagles and other birds like to fly in a little low and carry extra speed when gliding toward a landing spot. At some point near the spot they increase their approach angle and glide upward toward the spot. The closer they get the higher the angle of attack used until they have no speed left and they touch down for a perfect landing. At high angles of attack the feathers lift up in the low pressure area on the top surface and sometimes there is a flow reversal on the leading edge.”

May 22, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
”These eagles aren’t little anymore In this first scene you see here the adult male had brought in fish for the kiddos to devour for dinner. In the next two images you can see the two stretching and working their flying muscles in prep for the big day.”

JUNE 2023

June 5, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
The eagle action continues to unravel in the high desert These young eagles are inside a month from fledging Man what a journey it’s been to see these amazing and graceful creatures mature and evolve More updates to come. Stay tuned!! Hopefully, you can opt outside this week.

June 7, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”They are starting to lift off the ground a little when they flap their wings.”

June 10, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”The parent looks so small compared to the Eaglet.”

June 16, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
”I did not have any luck spotting the Eaglet that fledged yesterday. This one is dancing alone on the nest now.”

June 15, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
A moment I’ll never forget! Watching these raptors grow into these magnificent beasts has been so special and one of a kind To update y’all, the one you see here soaring with such grace and a commanding presence was the first one to fledge, which I believe took place over this past weekend. As you navigate through my images, you’ll see the other youngster still hanging in the nest. He should take flight any day. Enjoy these moments captured in time.”

June 16, 2023, Photographer Sheryl French:
“I did not have any luck spotting the Bald Eaglet that fledged. This Eaglet is working up its nerve to jump. It might be like jumping off the high diving board at the pool when you were a kid.”

June 22 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman: Remaining Bald Eagle Finally Fledges
"For the past week the remaining Bald Eagle juvenile has been fed very well and has had one parent looking after it. The other parent and the first fledge had been gone all week. Wed morning things looked different. No eagles were in the area. Later on I discovered the juvenile was behind the tree trunk and being very quiet. It finally started moving around, searching up, down and around the tree. It appeared nervous and impatient. Eventually, it worked its way out on a limb and flew away. The small group of eagle watchers burst into cheers as the bird flew off and away like a veteran. The new fledge landed on the rock corner to the west and rested for a few minutes. On the next flight it flew to the west with a falcon escort and went out of the canyon. Sometimes the fledges will come back to the nest, but sometimes they don't.”

June 27, 2023, Matt Oliphant Photography:
“This young male juvenile who recently fledged the nest is learning quite quickly that being on its own is no walk in the park. Truly a scene to watch unfold as this Cooper’s Hawk chased after this youngster for a bit. I hope you enjoy this collection of moments showcasing these powerful raptors in the heat of the action”

June 27, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman: Cooper’s Hawk Attacks Bald Eagle Pair
"First thing in the morning I was able to get a nice comparison portrait of the Bald Eagle pair. The larger female on the left had some prey in her talon that I did not see until later. I could see the birds were disturbed by something in the tree to the left. A Cooper's hawk started making strafing passes at the Eagles. After diving at and circling the eagles a couple of times, it would land in a tree and then resume the attacks after a brief rest. The male eagle was the first to leave with the hawk right on his tail. The female eagle continued to eat and finish the food. She then flew off with the hawk hot on her tail too.”

June 30, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman: Bald Eagle Nesting Territory
"A young 2022 Bald Eagle flew into the nesting territory of a bald eagle pair. One of the local adults flew out of the tree and circled around the tree to gain altitude to use as an attack advantage on the invader. At close range, both birds had their talons out ready for a fight. there was no contact and the youngster left the area. Later on, the youngster did come back again and again.”

July 1-4, 2023, Photographer Charlie Baughman: Bald Eagle Fledge II
"The first Bald Eaglet to fledge (Fledge I) from the nest went off like expected. The second eaglet (Fledge II) wanted to stay in the nest for another week. Even after fledging it would fly back to the nest and enjoy the security and food at the nest. It was being fed at least every morning. Finally, the adults left the nest and ended the feedings. A young second-year Bald Eagle was very interested in the nest area. It flew to the perches and to the nest. Fledge II drove the young eagle from the nest several times but the young eagle would continue to land in the tree nest or branches. In 3 of the pictures, you can see that it is carrying a branch. It may be thinking of improving the nest and moving in. On some of these short flights, the local Cooper's Hawk would chase behind the eagle. After a couple of days with no adults around and no feedings, Fledge II flew off.”

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.

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.

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.

UPDATE APRIL 27, 2023
Listen to Smith Rock Park Manager Matt Davey give the Master Plan some context with historic and data-driven info in this interview done in the Source Weekly’s Bend Don’t Break podcast released today.

April 12, 2023

Didn’t make the Smith Rock Master Plan meetings on Monday, April 10? Don’t worry, you can catch the Zoom meeting presentation or go read it for yourself and then comment. We’ll also supply direct link buttons at the bottom.

For those of you that are reading this for the first time, the purpose of the new plan is to update the vision for the next 20 years of development of Smith Rock State Park. Kind of a big deal. The end of the public feedback period is May 15, 2023, at 5:00 PM.

The main themes discussed in the plan and at the meeting included the issues the public ranked as most important back in 2018:

• parking

• visitation/overcrowding

• trails

• education & experience

• park management

• camping/The Bivy

What follows is a summary slideshow of the presentation of proposals in the 20-year, mostly unfunded plan. OPRD HAS ASKED US to remind the public that these are development concepts and management strategies that provide a menu of options that will be implemented and evaluated over time, and adjusted as needed.

THE PROCESS:
Here are the currently known remaining stages of the Master Plan Adoption and subsequent schedule for the funded Welcome Center project.

1. May-Sept 2023: Master Plan rolls out for adoption by the State Park Commission, local land use authorities, and then into State Rule

2. 2023/2024: Schematic design and plans development scheduled for a new Welcome Center

3. 2024: Deschutes County land use permitting for the new Welcome Center

4. 2024/2025: Engineering documents development for the new Welcome Center

5. 2025/2026: Construction for the new Welcome Center

UPDATE APRIL 7, 2023:
The draft of the Smith Rock State Park Master Plan has been published for public review and comments prior to the Monday, April 10, 2023 public meetings:

Virtual (On Zoom): 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Register Here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SWEV1yFUSPKACru4bUcInA

In Person: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Bend Parks & Recreation Riverbend Community Room
799 SW Columbia St.,
Bend OR, 97702

March 29, 2023

Back in 2017 and 2018, there were three public meetings for input on the first update to the Smith Rock State Park Master Plan from 1991. Now after a COVID hiatus, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is back on track to present its vision for the next 20 years of future park development for Smith Rock, addressing feedback from the public after extensive assessments and analysis, weighing visitation needs with the protection of the natural, cultural, and scenic resources of the park.

The main concern of the public was parking. Over the years parking shortages due to a huge uptick in visitation especially since COVID have created dangerous conditions from overflow parking on neighborhood streets, with people walking down the middle of two rows of parked cars at times to get to where they parked. The county eventually closed shoulder areas to parking, exacerbating the shortage of spaces.

Back in 2018, there was a proposal to put a parking lot on the park-owned property off of 17th Street. This has now been replaced by changes to the North Point, Overflow Parking Lot, The Chute Parking Area by the current Welcome Center, and the Campground Bivouac area.

While we don’t have details on everything, we do on the Chute Parking and the new Welcome Center Area Parking. One of the ways the Plan proposes to address the parking by the current Welcome Center is to have approximately 100 spaces in a redesigned “Chute Parking” area, with a 100’ setback from Crooked River Drive. This redesign will reduce the current number of total spaces from approximately 160, however, the expanded parking included in the Welcome Center concept below will potentially offset the loss in total spaces.

Education and experience was another area of intense public interest. A new expanded Welcome Center has already been funded by the GO Bond from the 2021 Oregon Legislature to revitalize parks and campgrounds. Replacing the current yurt, the Welcome Center will be located by the first parking lot as you enter the park, where RVs and buses can currently park. The current parking lot is planned to be expanded to utilize the center area, taking the parking capacity from 92 to 240, and expanding the short-term parking capacity for visitors that choose to stay on the Rim Rock Trail level. (The current trail will also be extended from the new Welcome Center.)

Management goals, strategies and development concepts will also address other concerns heard throughout the process, including congestion, trails, interpretive opportunities and management.  Comments received during the comment period (April 10- May 15) will be collected and reviewed for inclusion into the draft document, which will then be presented to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission for adoption at the June 2023 meeting. See the process below.

THE PROCESS:
One thing to keep in mind is that the Master Plan is an outline for a 20-year vision of projects, many of which that will still need to be funded. Here are the currently known stages of the Master Plan Adoption and subsequent schedule for the funded Welcome Center project.

1. On or before April 10: Draft gets released to the public and will be posted here. (We’ll post a notice on Facebook and Instagram)

2. April 10: Public weighs in on the draft at one of two meetings:
   
   Virtual (On Zoom): 3:00-4:30 p.m.
   Register Here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SWEV1yFUSPKACru4bUcInA

   In Person: 6:00-7:30 p.m.
   Bend Parks & Recreation Riverbend Community Room
   799 SW Columbia St.,
   Bend OR, 97702
   

3. May-Sept 2023: Master Plan rolls out for adoption by the State Park Commission, local land use authorities, and then into State Rule

4. 2023/2024: Schematic design and plans development scheduled for a new Welcome Center

5. 2024: Deschutes County land use permitting for the new Welcome Center

6. 2024/2025: Engineering documents development for the new Welcome Center

7. 2025/2026: Construction for the new Welcome Center

Once the plan is posted, comments can be submitted by email OPRD.Publiccomment@oprd.oregon.gov or online form on https://bit.ly/OPRDMasterPlans, or in writing to:  Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Attn. Jenna Marmon, 725 Summer St. NE, Suite C, Salem, OR 97301.  Comments will be considered through Monday, May 15, 2023. 

February 9, 2023

Around 2:45 PM yesterday we received a call about a found Weiner dog in the Smith Rock State Park area from someone trying to reconnect him with his owner. What happened next demonstrates the power of the Smith Rock community's care and connectedness, including the extended Facebook one.

February 8:
2:40 PM:
We ask the caller for details and are sent 3 photos of a fuzzy little dog with a leopard print harness. We are told a family found him about an hour earlier and had tried in vain to find his owner and were about to take it to Brightside Animal Center. We ask if a ranger has been contacted. When the answer was negative we asked the caller to ask them to wait a few minutes while we called the Park Manager.

2:42 PM:
We ask the Smith Rock State Park Manager if he or anyone at the park’s headquarters had spoken with or received a message about a lost dog. When that answer was also negative, we thought it was strange that the dog would be wandering around alone with no one reporting him missing. We asked the rangers to check the area for any injured people.

2:44 PM:
We call the original caller back and update her with what we know, and she says the family needs to leave, so they plan to take the dog to Brightside. We said thanks for the photos and tell them we’ll get the word out.

2:45 PM:
We post the 3 photos and what we know on our Instagram and Facebook feeds.

5:13 PM:
We get a comment on Facebook from someone who has seen a Craigslist posting for Buddy. He texts the person that posted details about a dog that perfectly matches the description.

6:00 PM:
Brightside closes for the night, too late for his owner to come and get him.

February 9:
10:00 AM:
Buddy and Diana are reunited as soon as Brightside opens.

10:15 AM:
We leave a message for the owner to check if all is well.

10:35 AM:
We get photos of the reunion, in a text from Nica McConnell, the daughter-in-law of Diana McConnell:

”That (woman in photos) is my mother-in-law, Diana. We live in Prineville and went out for the day with my daughter, Addy. We went out along the Rimrock Trail and down to check out the campground. She let Buddy off his leash for a minute, and as he is pretty old, he stays by her side. He was following us down to look at the view of the Crooked River and the next thing we knew, he was gone. We searched all through the campground to no avail. She thought maybe a cougar had gotten him as he normally doesn't wander off or run much because of his age and the tumor on his hip. We didn't check down toward the center of the park until an hour into our search as she never thought he would go so far. By then the Visitor Center was closed. We were absolutely devastated. Luckily, a beautiful family found him running down the road and took him to the visitor center and then to Brightside. He must have taken the road out of the campground onto the main road to find her truck in the parking lot. We are all so grateful for everyone helping reunite them!”

We love happy endings. Thanks to all that made this one happen quickly!

January 20, 2023

Thanks to access to years of photographer Gary Skirvin’s images, we pulled together a photo essay of some of the fauna of Smith Rock State Park. Not just a series of random pictures, but also vignettes that capture the behavior of these delightful creatures whenever possible. We couldn’t tell all of their stories here but we hope this helps you identify some of the species you might encounter on your next trip to the park.

An Osprey knows a thing or two about patience.

Pay attention and stay on the trail, leaving some space of course for the occasional rattler to cross.

Nest building sometimes can be a little tricky. Ask this Bald Eagle.

While mule deer tend to keep their distance, summertime brings them out for a drink and the occasional Crooked River crossing

The breadth of bird species at Smith Rock ranges from the mighty to the tiny. Bring your binoculars for both.

Here’s some help to identify what You See fly by, splash in, or play in the sky at Smith Rock.

IT’s not always a Peaceful scene in the skies. a bald Eagle and Red-Tail Hawk Take each other on

As Bald Eagle nesting season begins, here’s what to expect over the months ahead.

How to tell the difference between a juvenile bald eagle and a golden eagle?

Juvenile Bald Eagles will have white in their body and 'armpits' while Golden Eagles usually have white restricted to their wrists and the base of their tail.

Thanks again Gary! We can’t wait to see and share more of your images with park visitors.

January 19, 2023

If you’ve tried to observe the one-way traffic rule on the Smith Rock State Park bridge over the Crooked River since the railings were installed to channel the load, you know that increased traffic to the park has rendered the 50-year-old bridge obsolete. The good news is a new, wider bridge is coming this summer. The bad news is there will be NO bridge access for approximately 4 weeks during construction in mid to late summer.

The new bridge will expand the width by 2 feet, going from 6 to 8 feet, allowing greater access to visitors due to not only its new girth but its higher weight limit too. This will be a great benefit to SAR (Search and Rescue) teams as well as any fire suppression operations to have quicker and expanded access. There will be no temporary bridge, and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department discourages wading across the river due to sensitive habitat and safety concerns.

When does this all begin? It depends on 2 environmental factors:

1. Raptor nesting season is from February 1 to August 1. Climbing restrictions are enforced during that time. Construction activity and noise near active nests are not permissible. The closures can be lifted before Aug. 1 if nests have fledged or failed.

2. The in-water work period for the Crooked River is July 1 through August 15. This period is in place to protect river breeding species from having structures placed in the water, such as bracing. This period might be extended in coordination with other agencies if needed and allowed.

What is the actual construction time and what will it affect?

• Crews will begin the initial work in July and continue through September if needed, but the biggest impact on visitors is the 4-week bridge closure starting August 1, dependent on the environmental factors above. The goal is to complete as much of the bridge construction as possible between August 1-15.

• Trails that will stay open include: Rim Rock Trail, Homestead Trail, Rope-de-Dope Trail, Canyon Trail, and North Point loop

• Climbing areas accessible during construction include: North Point area (accessible from the Homestead and North Point loop trails), Rope-de-Dope boulder (accessible from the Rope-de-Dope trail and Canyon Trail) and The Lower Gorge (Climber Access routes)

Why wasn’t the original bridge left during the new bridge construction?

The original design was for the new bridge to be built 20’ upstream and keep the existing bridge open during construction. That location required a larger and heavier bridge, which would have necessitated a large crane to place it.  In order to provide access for the crane to the footbridge site, the park would have needed to widen the existing canyon access road substantially (almost doubling the width). Replacing the bridge in its current location allowed for a lighter bridge that can be placed with a smaller crane, or possibly a helicopter.  

Where are some of the places I’ll still be able to go during the bridge closure? See the links above and pics below:

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We’ll do our best to get updates posted quickly, but if you have any questions not answered here, please address them to Smith Rock State Park Management:

December 14, 2022

Winter means migrating to warmer locations for a lot of species, including humans. But at Smith Rock State Park, winter can be a wonderland for getting up close and personal with the birds and other wildlife that stick around. Combine that with the picturesque snowscapes and limited visitation, and if you have your binoculars handy you’re in for a treat. And if you don’t, professional bird photographer Bettina Ishimaru sent us a few of the ones she spotted after the first snowfall here at the park a couple of weeks ago.

But first, more about the birds. There are over 500 bird species that can be found in the State of Oregon alone. And Oregon is one of the top 5 birding states in the nation.

The variety of wildlife in Smith Rock State Park is extensive, especially birds.  There are over 175 active bird species that live and migrate through the park. Over 5 geese species and three swan species can be seen including the rare Mute Swan, albeit infrequently. (Not to be confused with the white “Smith Rock Goose, who hangs out with his Canada Geese buddies off and on in most seasons.)

Other rare birds can include Common Nighthawk, White-throated Swift, and Calliope Hummingbirds. There are actively 5 species of owls that have been spotted in the high canopies. Birds are essential to the food chain. Raptors such as American Kestrels, Eagles, Falcons, and Magpies can eat gophers, brush rabbits, rattlesnakes, western terrestrial garter snakes, and voles that can all be found in the park.

Bettina began an interest in photography in the early 1980s. While living in rural Pennsylvania she began a lifelong attachment to nature finding respite in the woods and streams.

She originally studied photography at the International Center for Photography in New York City and then went on to pursue a Masters in Fine Arts at The School of Visual Arts in Photography.

After moving to Portland from Alaska in 2001 she knew that the beauty of the Cascades was something unique as she was transfixed by the volcanic mountain range and the ease of accessibility to significant viewscapes to photograph. Hiking and Mountaineering were always primary to her mountain visits. 

Bettina, like a lot of us, can get focused on the destination. She reflected on her past saying, “I was always into climbing high and the rush of life above the treeline as I focused more on the big picture of the landscape once I reached the summit or viewpoint virtually always ignoring any birds who lived there.”

Bettina’s first trip to Smith Rock over 15 years ago was purely an accident.  Her daughter was playing in a tennis tournament in Bend and they decided they needed a calm distraction in between matches. Smith Rock turned out to be far more than that for them, as she recalled that first visit.

“Nothing could have prepared me for the beauty that I saw and the Golden Eagles that flew by amidst the great towering canyon walls. I was dumbstruck. After that Smith Rock became our destination hiking and camping location for weekend vacations and even my daughter's 14th birthday party where I took 5 girls hiking through Misery Ridge.”

After that, the Bald Eagles’ nest across the rim from the campground became her “go-to” destination for its unique eye-level view of the parents and later, the family until the little ones would fledge. Bettina also loves watching the Bald Eagles perched above the Picnic Lunch Wall looking down on all the next meal in the Crooked River.

Birding and bird photography have opened up so many paths of inquiry and exploration as Bettina photographs them in their habitat, often walking and hiking many miles. She strives to do so while minimizing her impact on the environment. A good mindset for each of us. Thanks, Bettina for sharing your awesome images!

For more of Bettina Isimaru’s bird images go here:

November 14, 2022

Life doesn't pause while you figure out how to handle your trauma. The daily hassles and irritations as well as the accomplishments and milestones keep coming. In a podcast for Smith Rock TV, we talk with author, former climber, and psychologist Dr. James Porzelius (Jim) about the intersection of mental and physical—in this case, climbing, in dealing with trauma, plus other insights Jim shares from his unique perspective. Jim's novel, ClimberGirl, takes you on a tender journey of recovery, not just for the formerly active father after a devastating injury, but also for his 12-year-old daughter whose outdoor lifestyle with her dad abruptly ends.

Jim has worked for over 20 years as a clinical psychologist with people who have had spinal cord and brain injuries, helping them deal with the change in a rehabilitation unit as they are recovering from surgery. He explains the process a bit. “My role as a psychologist was to help the patient deal with that change, work with the staff, sort of whatever it took to be able to engage in that recovery process. I also worked with family members as they were also dealing with lots of loss and big changes.”

A former avid rock climber, Jim draws on his love of climbing to help others see how the “mindfulness'“ of climbing can be used to manage trauma. Through his gift for storytelling, he takes the reader of ClimberGirl into the psyche of Kelly Taylor, a girl just entering middle school when her outdoor activities buddy, (and father) is hit by a drunk driver while on a late afternoon bike ride. Kelly spirals into a sea of emotions, rendering her incapable of moving forward in her life. Then she figures out she can climb without Dad, by “bouldering,” or climbing untethered on rocks low to the ground that are, for the most part, safe if you fall during a route sequence. This simple start leads to a breakthrough for Kelly on many levels.

ClimberGirl opens with a quote from Susan Fox Rogers that has resonated with Jim since the first time he read it. He had a copy of it on the wall of his psychology office for years and feels it guided a lot of the process of writing his novel.

In our interview, Jim talks about how the quote applies to managing any stressor and also how it applies to managing loss— especially the desire to hang on and the importance of hanging on to memories and relationships, but not hanging on to them too tightly. He goes on to say that healing is also about allowing yourself to work with the challenge that is presented to you and that this is where balance and breathing come into play, whether you’re a climber or not. As a lover of climbing, he expounds on Susan’s words:

While Jim could have written a non-fiction book about trauma recovery through climbing, he chose instead to focus on the emotions and path forward for a traumatized teenage girl. We asked him why.

He told us that first and foremost, he tried to write a book that was interesting, fun, and readable. “I really think part of the fun of writing is to put yourself in the shoes of somebody different than you and really try to explore what their experiences might be.”

While the book deals with the management of trauma through Kelly Taylor’s story, Jim is also hopeful that the book can be helpful for people who are dealing with a big trauma. “I think that the message that the book might give about that is that trauma management takes time. It's not something that you can just do all at once.”

And for those of us that may not want to deal with our trauma, Jim had some soothing advice: “Some avoidance, some denial can be helpful as a coping strategy. A little denial keeps you from having to deal with more than you can handle at one time. It helps you spread out your trauma over time, and gradually get to where you manage it. And I think that's important. And I also think that it's important when you're dealing with something life-changing as trauma, that you allow yourself to enjoy moments along the way. I don't think it helps to stay miserable until you've figured out how to manage your trauma.”

Whether you climb or not, ClimberGirl’s characters are very relatable to a wide variety of people. Each of us has had or will have similar situations in our lives. Jim’s novel gives us a way forward by exploring the sweet spot where mental and physical can bring healing, as well as gives us the breathing room we need as humans to deal with challenges over time. Thanks, Jim!

For our complete 15-minute interview with Jim Porzelius on his novel, ClimberGirl, listen here, or on Spotify.

November 2, 2022

At the end of October Redpoint Climbers Supply started a new tradition at Smith Rock—the Redpoint Rock Wranglers Climbing Comp. In this free event, 14 participating teams of 2 (28 total) competed in a timed partner sport redpoint climbing at Smith Rock State Park. While this year’s competition was mostly regional climbers, pro climber Anna Hazlett participated this year and pro climber Ethan Pringle says he’s in for next year!

For those new to climbing, “redpointing” allows the climber to practice the route ahead of time, but they need to “lead” the climb, periodically connecting the rope harnessed between the climber and the belayer to protection equipment for safety. Climbers may rest, but not by using the rope or any artificial protection for support. If they fall (to the next level down of bolted protection) they stop, return to the bottom, and completely start over until they clip the anchor at the top of the route. Now imagine doing this for up to 10 routes (only 2 routes per designated sector) to get points, in a timed competition for 8 hours.

The competition had three categories (Intermediate 5.5 - 5.10d, Advanced 5.11a - 5.12a, and Open 5.12b - 5.14a) and prizes for the winners and runners-up of each category.  Rules, route information, point values, and bonuses were made available to participants when Redpoint released the scorecards a few days before the competition.

Partners were not restricted to climbing routes only in the above grade ranges. Once one partner redpointed a route 5.11a or harder, the team was bumped into the Advanced category. This applied as well to 5.12b routes and harder, as well as the Open category. 

Prizes for the winning teams and runners-up for each category were awarded at the after-party at Redpoint and included mega swag from sponsors Edelrid, Metolious Climbing, Petzl, Friction Labs, Rhino Skin Solutions, Hydroflask, Mountain Drifter Co. and Kobold Brewing.

WINNING TEAMS:

1st place Intermediate—The Triple G’s (Anna Casady and Maddee Rubenson), the runners-up in the Intermediate category were Katana Mamas,

1st place Advanced—Team Flower Power (Adriana Boylan and Ryan Reid), the runners-up in the Advanced category were Just Two Dudes.

Open winners were “Semi-Pro Bros” who had the most points— 2,740 in the hardest category of 5.12B to 5.14A) Hunter Murray @th.murray and Mike Holmes @light_on_rock and took home hang boards, a new rope (each!!), a rope bag, locking carabiners, and some thermoses for winter crag days. Hunter Murray got additional prizes for his list of climbs plus a bonus lap on Churning in the Wake. The runners-up in the Open category were The Beta Males.

Thanks, Redpoint Climbers Supply for all your hard work on starting up the annual Redpoint Rock Wranglers Comp. What a great way to bring all this climbing talent to Smith Rock to partner together and focus on a friendly competition for a very special play day at the park. Here were some of the highlights of the day.

Bonus content: Pro climber Anna Hazlett, @annahazelnutt (featured in the video above climbing up then down climbing Heinous Cling for extra points) at the Redpoint Rock Wranglers Comp heard about the competition through Redpoint. She's been hanging out at the shop for the last month and really plugging into the community! Will Maness of Redpoint had the pleasure of climbing with her numerous times over the last few weeks, and he’s really enjoyed getting to know her. Will said Anna is an incredible climber and an even better friend/community member. Here are a few from the other day on Spank the Monkey.

October 4, 2022

Local climbers at Smith Rock know Redpoint Climbers Supply as the spot for Coffee, Bear, and Gear. ”Community” should be added to their tagline. With outdoor movie nights and special presentations, such as the one done by the author Jeff Smoot in his book “Hangdog Days: Conflict, Change, and the Race for 5.14,” Redpoint has broadened the confines of their “downtown” store location in Terrebonne. Next up? A climbing competition at Smith Rock State Park. But more to come on that.

Author Jeff Smoot and Smith Rock Pioneer Alan Watts teamed up last night to share stories of the painful birth of modern sport climbing that began with rebels like Alan and legendary climber Todd Skinner.

In his book, Jeff tells of the characters he hung around with during the “hangdog days” era—when arguments, fistfights, and even death threats as the “ethics” around what constituted establishing climbing routes were fiercely debated. In Yosemite, climbers had a moral objection to “hangdogging” and bolting on rappels vs the traditional ground-up method. At Smith Rock, Alan realized that the blank faces could be climbed and that the only practical way to protect them was to bolt them on rappel.

Both Jeff and Alan were on the scene at both Smith Rock and Yosemite, and they lent their perspective during the show on the climbing scene of the 1980s, an era often skipped over in stories of climbing history. Thanks to Alan establishing routes in spite of the insults hurled at him, and Jeff spreading the word with publications such as Mountain Magazine that made the news in Europe and elsewhere, Smith Rock has a huge place in history as the birthplace of sport climbing in North America. Popular climbing lore, such as the film “Valley Uprising” often covers the 70s, then skip to the 90s, preferring to avoid the controversial period in between. Not Jeff. He sought to fill the gap with all the material not previously published in his freelance submissions to Rock and Ice, Climbing Magazine, and more. Today’s sport climbers clipping into pre-drilled routes can now challenge themselves to go from the ground up, thanks to Alan’s tenacity and Jeff’s spreading the word. After Alan made the cover of Mountain Magazine in 1986, an explosion of top climbers worldwide descended on Smtih Rock.

But don’t blame them for the crowds at the park today. Climbers only make up 20% of the annual visitors. Most are hikers discovering the beauty of the rock spires, the canyon, and of course, coming to watch the climbers.

After the presentation, the festive atmosphere of the evening continued, as young and old gathered around to hear and share stories of the 80s’ climbing at Smith Rock over a combination of beer, cider, and wine over book signings inside the store. Not to mention, one-arm pull-ups.

Jeff has a new book out too, “All and Nothing: Inside Free Soloing,” also available at Redpoint. With an insider’s perspective on free soloing, Jeff examines what motivates people to climb without a rope. We’ll be releasing a story soon.

October 1, 2022

You may have wondered what the large gathering is by the park’s overflow lot. The American Alpine Club’s Annual Smith Rock Craggin’ Classic moved down the street for its annual 3-day climbing festival the weekend of September 30- October 2.

With a full line-up of clinics taught by professional climbers and local guides from Chockstone Climbing Guides on Friday and Saturday, the weekend started with presentations at the Vendor Village last night by Five Ten/Adidas athlete Molly Mitchell and author Jeff Smoot on his latest book, “All and Nothing, Inside Free Soloing.”

And those dying to hear all about the climbing history at Smith Rock from the guy who had just a bit to do with it, joined our own Alan Watts on his Smith Climbing History Walking Tour early this morning.

Redpoint Climbers Supply started the morning Saturday with Simple Sunrise Yoga. followed by breakfast and coffee to fuel up for a day of clinics in the park.

Saturday night at the Craggin’ Classic always features thoughtful screenings, often world premieres. Here are trailers from this year’s:

In 1965, legendary climbers TM Herbert and Yvon Chouinard climbed the Muir Wall on El Capitan while facing a brutal storm and not having a chance for a rescue. Fifty-five years later TM Herbert suffers from Alzheimer's disease and struggles to remember his iconic climb. TM's son, Tom Herbert, decides to attempt breaking the Muir Wall speed record to honor his father's legacy. Here is the trailer for one of the feature films of Saturday evening.

Rising out of the arid Mexican Desert lies a 900 ft ships prow of elegant limestone sporting a 9-pitch 5.13 established in the 90s by Jeff Jackson. A cutting-edge big wall free climb at the time, this route shut down hard men for years. Shrouded in mysticism, the bolts rusted and the holds collected dust until a couple young gals from Canada decided to give it a try. The World Premiere of El Gavilan is tonight at the Smith Rock Craggin’ Classic.

While the Craggin’ Classic might seem like all fun and games, the American Alpine Club (AAC) is all about advocacy and stewardship as well, with the “Hill to Crag” advocacy event where they bring law makers to the crag, to show them why climbers love climbing and to help educate them on advocacy priorities for climbers. Sunday brings climbers to give back to Smith Rock State Park, knocking out noxious weeds that crowd out native plants and also significantly contribute to fire loads.

Lastly, the AAC cares about its climbing community with its Climbing Grief Fund. Resilience is the ability to face adversity with flexibility and grace. Hosted by a mental health professional with the AAC’s Climbing Grief Fund, plus offering a workshop that offers concepts and language regarding resilience and grief and its connection to climbing and the natural world. For more about the AAC, click here, or on their logo to see how they serve climbers all over the country.

September 10, 2022
banner image by Amy Sue Matthews

The 9-foot Steinway grand piano hidden in a flatbed trailer pulls into a wide open space punctuated by sage and rabbitbrush at Smith Rock State Park. Slowly the set-up crew raises the platform and reveals the instrument that has traveled for 6 years all over the west, as part of IN A LANDSCAPE: Classical Music in the Wild™, an outdoor concert series where America’s most stunning landscapes replace the traditional concert hall.

The concerts were born at the intersection of Artistic Director Hunter Noack’s passion for the outdoors and classical music. Classically trained at Interlochen Arts Academy and the San Franciso Conservatory, Hunter earned his B.M. at the University of Southern California and went on to get his masters in London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The recipient of national and international awards, Hunter has premiered works for the BBC, toured internationally with Pink Martini, and has been featured by TEDxPortland, regional to the national press, including CBS This Morning.

Performing in National Parks, urban greenspaces, working ranches, farms, and historical sites, IN A LANDSCAPE’s classical music concerts connect people with each landscape, meeting the acoustical challenges of performing in the wild with music transmitted to concert-goers via wireless headphones. Attendees are then free to roam around the landscape of the venue, exploring nature while soaking in the music between their ears through high-quality sound delivery.

This is IN A LANDSCAPE’s 6th year entertaining sold-out audiences at Smith Rock State Park. Even looming smoke on the horizon for Tuesday night’s performance didn’t deter his avid followers, who were grateful it stayed high in the sky for the evening. For the first time, the audience was treated to an opener for the half-hour prior to the IN A LANDSCAPE™ concert by Ned Roberts, a folk singer, and guitarist from the U.K, and a long-time friend of Hunter.

The 2022 program included works by Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy, Enrique Granados, Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel, Fredric Rzewski, Erik Satie, Fazil Say, Franz Schubert, and Robert Schumann.

SmithRock.com’s trail ambassador, “Summit Trail Amy,” now a regular at IN A LANDSCAPE’s Smith Rock venue, attended Tuesday’s performance with two first-timers who were blown away by the experience. She noted this year that more people were wandering around soaking in the concert, some even with their chairs facing the rocks. One of the fun serendipitous moments she noted was the Canadian geese flock that chimed in twice with loud honking during the show. Hunter laughed it off, noting his “new horn section.”

Lastly, she and a friend were grateful to get a spot under the piano on the platform to “feel the music” when Hunter called for the audience to join him, as he does at each of his concerts. Enjoy a short clip of that, minus the vibrations felt on the platform.

Concert-goers at Smith Rock State Park “feel the music” when Artistic Director Hunter Noack signals the time to do so, as he does at each of his concerts for IN A LANDSCAPE™. Video courtesy of Rick Retzman.

Missed out on catching IN A LANDSCAPE at Smith Rock State Park? Fear not, there are several performances not sold out as of the date of this article for the season, one in Maupin, Oregon one in Jackson, Wyoming, and two in San Francisco. Get tickets here.

And if you can’t get there in person or want to relive your experience of the music, grab IN A LANDSCAPE — HUNTER NOACK the CD. This debut album features Hunter performing select favorites from the classical piano canon as well as collaborations with Native American flutist James Edmund Greeley, psychedelic electronics by Dave Friedlander, a spacious concerto with the Salem Orchestra, and an arrangement of Franz Schubert’s most beautiful song with Pink Martini’s China Forbes and Thomas Lauderdale.

Don’t want to miss out on next year’s performances at Smith Rock? Word travels fast, so best to get on the mailing list.

August 19, 2022

A must-stop for huckleberry ice cream since its inception in 1967, Juniper Junction at Smith Rock has created fond memories for many generations. And now thanks to its current owners, David, and Pam Potter, the tradition continues.

Collin Day, a fixture at Juniper Junction since the 1980s when his mother passed, befriended young David with work when he was just 16, and getting into climbing. Eventually, Collin and David become partners in the business and David ran his climbing guide service, Smith Rock Climbing Guides, out of Rockhard. Over time, David moved his business elsewhere but remained in touch. When Collin’s health started to deteriorate over the past two years, David stepped in to return the goodwill Collin had shown him since his youth. When Collin knew he had little time left of his life, arrangements were made to turn over Rockhard to David and his wife.

While “Rockhard” is the official name of the store, (Collin was a big “Rockhound”) the Potters are looking at returning to the original name on the building itself, Juniper Junction, coined by the Day family in the mid-1960s. While no other concessions are allowed in Smith Rock State Park outside of what the park itself sells in its Welcome Center, Juniper Junction has been “grandfathered-in” per an agreement reached with the state to exist in perpetuity. While we’re not sure of all of the details of the eminent domain exchange of property the Days owned, including the current Bivouac Campground, Juniper Junction will be there as long as it is cared for.

Many fond memories have been created at Juniper Junction over the years. D’Ann Nash was stopping by for ice cream and then shopping for a t-shirt with her granddaughter, Archer Hubbard when she overheard our interview. She remembers coming in for ice cream as a little girl, and then later on horseback with her girlfriends in the 1980s.

If you’re a fan of movie trivia, the building next to Juniper Junction was originally built in 1975 for the set of “Kate’s Saloon” in the film Rooster Cogburn, starring John Wayne and Katherine Hepburn. It was actually part of a whole village that was used in the movie. The saloon building was kept and then moved next to Juniper Junction, but it is not able to be used as a storefront per the state agreement, just for storage.

Going into the shop itself can feel like stepping into a time portal, with an adding machine that while not used still works, along with an antique cash register that was used by Collin for cash-only purchases as recently as 2016. David is in the process of changing out their buggy landline and phone. In the meantime, the mix of products is evolving, with more emphasis on tourism vs rock climbing supplies, leaving that business to Redpoint Climbers Supply in Terrebonne. The rocks that Collin loved remain an attraction, however, right alongside the farm fresh honey made by Pam Potter. Something for everyone. Best of luck David and Pam!

A must-stop for huckleberry ice cream since its inception in 1967, Juniper Junction at Smith Rock State Park has created fond memories for many generations. And now thanks to its current owners, David, and Pam Potter, the tradition continues.

Address:
9265 NE Crooked River Dr, Terrebonne, OR 97760

Hours:
Every day from noon to 6:00 PM right now. Hours may start to vary in fall and winter. We’ll keep you updated.