Partial Reopening of Smith Rock State Park on Thursday, May 14th!
May 8, 2020
Park management announced today that we are set to have a limited, and partial re-opening of Smith Rock State Park this coming Thursday, May 14th, 2020 after being closed since March 23rd due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please remember that the park was forced to close before when crowds did not respect social distancing restrictions. The partial opening is attempting to address both issues, overcrowding and safety guidelines. Help everyone to have this precious resource stay available to us by respecting the park rules and each other.
This is really geared towards LOCAL visitors, as there were will only be 200 parking spots vs the usual 500, the Bivy will be closed, as are hotels and other campgrounds in the area. The park WILL get closed again if things go nuts.
PLEASE NOTE:
The park will remain closed this weekend and the first part of next week while staff and work crews do last-minute work to ready the park and trails for visitors. And it won’t be business as usual when it reopens, as some facilities and trails will remain closed.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:
Misery Ridge Trail will remain closed for visitor, staff and first responder safety across from the footbridge as well as at the crossroads of Mesa Verde and Misery Ridge Trails. Other trails are all open and social distancing guidelines are being placed in key locations. Please respect trail closures during this initial phase of re-opening.
The RV and overflow parking lots will remain closed to limit total park capacity. Please only park in designated parking spaces, and if the park is full upon arrival, plan to come back another time when it’s less busy.
The Bivouac Camp (Bivy) will remain closed for now. Oregon State Parks has a planning committee looking into requirements for opening camping up again, but no dates are yet determined.
The Welcome Center yurt will stay closed, as well. Annual passes can be purchased online or at the Terrebonne Oliver Lemons store.
The park will be open to all the normal outdoor activities allowed at Smith Rock, (including climbing).
Climbing will be restricted on Picnic Lunch and Red Wall, as the trail to Misery Ridge will be closed across the footbridge. Regular Seasonal Nesting Closures are also in place.
The park needs people to cooperate by staying close to home, bringing everything they need for a short visit, then packing everything out. While in a park, people need to give each other space and we strongly suggest wearing a face covering.
Due to loss of revenue for park operations -- state parks are funded mainly from lottery and user fees, and both drastically lower now -- they cannot fully staff the park.
If the health situation worsens, or visitors don’t cooperate, or funding becomes even more critical, it will affect the ability of the park to offer service.
Your safety depends on your own good judgment and constant awareness of the situation. Your safety is your responsibility: prepare for your visit, and take care.