Smith Rock Circuit Hike

Smith Rock State Park near Terrebonne, Oregon is one of the premier climbing destinations in the USA. But you don’t have to imitate Spider-man to enjoy the outdoors there. There are plenty of great trails for hiking. One of my favorites is the 7.5 mile Summit Loop Trail.

This hike provides you with a little bit of everything, from amazing views and solitude after ascending the Burma Road to flat areas along the Crooked River and views of the Monkey Face.

View of the Monkey Face from the Crooked River

Start your hike from the Welcome Center near the parking lot. You will have to descend to the river and cross the newly constructed walking bridge, where you will intersect with the easy River Trail. Park pamphlets suggest you take a left and walk clockwise, but we chose to take a right and follow the easy Wolf Tree Trail which leads to the Burma Road. The Burma Road is on Bureau of Land Management Land and is a steady climb, but once you ascend the 900 feet of elevation gain over the first 1.7 miles to reach its apex, most of your climbing is done for the day. Once you begin the ascent of the Burma Road trail, you will leave the crowds behind and the views keep getting better with each step upward. Take your time! You may only see a couple of other hikers and a few trail runners.

View from Burma Road looking back toward the State park

Climbing up the Burma Road

Once you reach the high point of the hike at 3560′ at the pass, the trail splits. Taking the right fork will lead you to the Gray Butte trail, but we left that for another day. We took the left fork (Summit Trail) and slowly descended. The views back towards the river and the monument were spectacular.

View from the Summit Trail looking back towards the river to the South

Gently undulating switchbacks on the trail make for an easy descent. I find that hiking downhill can be harder on my knees. Hiking in this direction not only gets the climbing done earlier in the hike, but the downhill is much gentler than descending the Burma Road. Plus, we only saw one other couple on this section of the trail!

Descending Switchbacks on the Summit Trail

Once you descend all the way to the Crooked River on the west side of the park, the terrain is relatively flat. When you come into view of the Monkey Face, you will likely view some mountain climbers ascending the back side of it, like we did in the picture below.

Mountain climber on the back side of the Monkey Face (on the left where the rock changes color)

A couple of miles of walking on generally flat terrain on the River Trail will have you rounding the Southern tip of the peninsula and heading back North again, as the Crooked River meanders around the erosion resistant rock of the Phoenix Buttress. You will likely encounter more people and see more climbers as you head back toward the welcome center.

From this vantage point you can see the Burma Road in the background and your circuit hike is almost complete.

River Trail with Burma Road in the background

Don’t forget to look back and up and to your left, however. You might miss the balancing Rock at Asterisk Pass. There is a short trail to the balancing rock and from there you can see the river on both sides from the narrow ridge that the rock sits atop.

Balancing Rock at Asterisk Pass

Now you come back to the same bridge that you walked across near the beginning of the hike. You have one more short, steep climb on the Chute Trail to get back to your car.

Foot Bridge over the Crooked River

If you are tired at this point, the Canyon Trail is much less steep, but adds another .4 miles to your hike. With Happy Hour close to being over, we sucked it up and plodded up the Chute Trail and finished the day with a cold one in nearby Terrebonne.

The park can be very busy on the weekends, so it is recommended to visit during the week. However, if you can only go on the weekends, it is imperative that you get there early to secure a parking space. Parking fees are $5 per day. You should plan on 3-3.5 hours to complete this hike, which allows for time to stop and enjoy the scenery. Make sure to carry a couple of liters of water and apply sunscreen before you go.

Happy Trails!