4.6 mi, 1621 ft elevation gain, 1hr 52 minutes…read more The road to the trail is washboard gravel for two miles which then turns to large gravel/rocks for the last mile. A northwest forest pass is required to park at the trailhead. If you don't already have one you can purchase a day pass in the parking lot. This is a popular trail so I recommend coming early! The trail itself is a steep and dusty incline. It is hard work to get to the top, but you will be distracted by the Mountain View's and gorgeous wildflowers along the way. Once at the top there are 360 degree views and an old fire lookout. This is a great spot to stop and enjoy a snack and take it all in!

Perfect combination of challenging but doable! Great workout and even greater views! Fairly…read morepopulated when we went, but everyone was very friendly of course. Took a little less than 2 hours to complete, will definitely do this one again.

We took the river trail on our last visit to the park. The trek is great, meandering along the…read moreCrooked River directly below the wall of rock and climbers above. The trail itself is fairly flat, and should be pretty accessible for almost anyone. There are countless offshoots down to the water and up into the rocks. My only slight disappointment was that it's an out&back. Would be so great if there was at least one place to cross over the river to enjoy a trip back from the other side. There's plenty of parking along the drive in the park, and bathrooms at the start AND down the trail a ways. This time of year there are some gorgeous fall colors to take in along the water. Great, easy hike...and many more to take nearby.

A nice, mellow, gentle trail that takes you around a good section of Smith…read more The grade is calm enough that you'll frequently see families with strollers. I use it mainly to get to climbs. As a destination in and of itself, it's kind of a snooze.

Tam-a-lau seems like a bucket list hike, at least in terms of those in Central Oregon. It's not…read moreterribly difficult but is well worth the effort nonetheless. The trail runs from near lake level in Cove Palisades State Park to the top of the 'Peninsula', as it's called. The Peninsula is that bit of land jutting north into Lake Billy Chinook between the Deschutes and Crooked Rivers (minus The Island, which is a whole 'nother experience if you are fortunate enough to get a chance to go there). Tam-a-lau Trail is about seven miles in length, which comprises 1.7 miles hiking from the trailhead parking lot and then ascending the steep canyon wall, about 3.6 miles of relatively flat hiking on top of the Peninsula, and then 1.7 down. The trailhead is two locations, really. One starts at the big parking lot just past the boat launch on the Deschutes River and has you walk a bit to the other trailhead. That one is at the Deschutes Campground and is the beginning of your ascent up the slope. Unless you're staying in the campground, I recommend the further trailhead - the half mile or so extra is a nice trail. Footing is OK throughout, although the ascent has some steep bits that you'll want to be careful with. Once you're at the top, it's a piece of cake. The top reminds me of the Oregon Badlands, except for the really nice lake views. Once you get to the top, you'll be at a junction. Left takes you to the tip of the peninsula by way of the Deschutes River side, while right takes you overland to the Crooked River side and thence to the tip. Either way, your goal is the peninsula tip. Some folks seem to think the overland section is boring but not me. If for some reason you want a shorter hike, go left and then backtrack the way you came. Tam-a-lau is about views of Lake Billy Chinook, the canyon lava walls and, if the weather is good, the distant views of the Cascades. It's also a good bit of exercise. During the summer, it will be hot. There's not a lot of shade - this isn't a ponderosa forest hike. Take plenty of water. Being in a state park, you'll either need an annual/biannual pass or pay $5 to park. Note that you can access the upper part of the Tam-a-lau (the flat part on the Peninsula) from roads to the south. You don't have to enter the state park from that way. In fact, much of the Tam-a-lau is not actually within the state park boundaries but rather on BLM land.

Very nice views from the top of trails definitely will be back used to go camping there al the time…read morewhen I was a kid now going back as a adult

Where there are horses, there are flies. Otherwise not a bad place. It's not used a lot. There's…read morefive camping units, give or take, and sometimes water for the horses. None for the humans unless you are not picky. There is one outhouse. The campground is located along a long designated equestrian loop trail running through the Crooked River National Grassland. Cyrus Horse Camp is open all year-round, or at least, when the snow doesn't block access.

First off, so much fun!! There isn't anything like them in the area so we had to give it a try…read more Affordable and the owners are super easy going and good humored. My nine and thirteen year olds worked the bikes with no problems and they zip around the water in the beautiful central Oregon sunshine easy peasy. Watched osprey fishing and enjoyed a beautiful view of the volcanoes. It's only as hard of a workout as you want to make it. Would definitely recommend reserving them ahead of time because this is one of those new things that's going to get very popular.

When exploring a new town or city, I always am on the lookout for parks. We came upon this park…read morewhile visiting the town of Sisters,Oregon. This park offers plenty of picnic tables, a beautiful covered bridge that is built over the creek and lovely, tall mature trees. The grass is so green but that's Oregon for you. It is an extremely clean park. We stopped and had a snack and just enjoyed the sounds of the creek. We walked along the gravel path just taking in the views but then it began to drizzle so we had to take cover. I would definitely recommend and I hope I get to return here someday.

OMG, flyboarding is easily one of the most trilling experiences of my entire life. I am so glad to…read morehave found Flyboard of Bend and I absolutely cannot wait to get back out there to do this again. My brother has been obsessed with flyboarding for over a year now after seeing a video of a group of people doing it on Youtube. And so, this year for his birthday I decided to take him to try it out for our first times. After about 3 hours of driving we meet Jason, the owner, and Hunter his assistant down at Lake Billy Chinook. Like skydiving or anything else, the first thing we did was go over safety and a quick ground course. Then it was time to strap up and get in the water. Jason had injured his foot and had to stay on land so Hunter took us out. He was an excellent coach. My brother went first and Hunter was able to get him flying within about 2 minutes. During his hour on the board my brother was able to change direction, turing and circling, raise and lower himself about 15 feet and even do a trick called the Orca. My experience was very similar, although I was less successful with the Orca. The whole time though I felt like a super hero. It was seriously amazing. It was pretty cool to look around and see the audience I had gathered too. Other boaters came closer to check out what we were doing and some cars were even stopping on the road to take pictures. Did I say I felt like a Super Hero yet? One of the other things Jason did which I though was really neat is bring a second jet ski. That way the whole time we were there, whoever wasn't on the board was on the second jet ski. It allowed us to learn from each other and take photos/videos. And being on a jet ski is super fun anyway. By the way, if you have not been to Lake Billy Chinook it is beautiful. Jason seriously picked a perfect location, especially for a first time experience. It just is one more thing to make sure your time is worth while. I would highly recommend, scratch that...it is a must do. You have to check out Flyboard of Bend. It is worth every penny and will be an unforgettable experience. And if you want to go out with a group they have 2 different setups which allows them to take 2 people out at a time. Quick tip. Make sure you reserve at least an hour a person. Anything less and you will leave wishing you did more.

3.9 miles, 932 ft elevation gain, 1 hr 38 minutes to complete…read more We started the hike around noon which is probably the least advisable time to complete it. Aside from that the weather was fairly mild and the skies were blue! The trails and grounds are well maintained by the staff. The bathrooms available are also very well kept. The hike itself is supposedly easiest if done clockwise. I decided to go counterclockwise to get the hardest part out of the way. Several stops were made along the way to the top. The entire trek was gorgeous and while you're catching your breath you can look out over the river. There's lots of wildlife down at the river level you can watch as you trek by. It's also neat to see rock climbers up above you. A fun little surprise!

Misery Ridge Trail (in my opinion) is the epicenter/main attraction hike while visiting Smith Rock…read moreState Park. If you complete this hike, you'll comprehend what makes Smith Rock so stunningly beautiful, especially for being nearby an under the radar town like Terrebonne, Oregon. Misery Ridge is a difficult 3.7-mile round trip loop gaining almost 2000 feet in elevation. And, if you begin the hike located just past the entrance area, there'll be a warning sign stating..."steep, rough trail", but that should not deter you whatsoever. When I was here, everyone was hiking this pathway without hesitation. Starting out past the trailhead, you'll confront the hardest part to it all, the stairway incline going up the mountainside. Within the first few moments, the ascent is pretty vertical that if you turn and look back down below, you realize how high you've climbed. But think, if you get past this part...the rest of the way will be pretty easy, especially arriving at the summit/plateau portion of the hike. Then, it's flat ground where you can sit down and relax at any point in time (maybe even have a picnic) and overall, just enjoy the gorgeous scenery from high above. So while walking along the plateau area...you'll have plenty of moments for picture taking. I'd describe the vast Oregon landscape as primarily flat level with small towns and green grass surroundings set in the distance. And it's sort of interesting that this part of Oregon is not mountainous at all, but when you arrive here in Smith Rock SP...the rugged terrain makes for a rock climbers' paradise! Towards the latter part of the hike, you'll confront the well-known "Monkey Face", a 350-foot rock spire standing high and mighty that's the primary focal point of the park. The views are so rewarding, like out of a postcard scene. And if you look closely, it's truly unbelievable...you'll notice rock climbers dangling off the cliffs of Monkey Face. It's thrilling to look at, you think..."how do these people hang on without a fear of heights"??? Just past Monkey Face, the trail winds down with a series of switchbacks from the plateau and back towards the base. During these switchbacks, I'd advise to be cautious when descending as there are no handrails to grab onto and the downslope can be unsteady if you're not wearing sturdy hiking shoes. Finally returning to the bottom...the trail is easy for the remainder of the way. You'll walk among a pretty nature setting while passing beside a pristine lake with the jagged peaks hovering above you. This Misery Ridge Trail will take a few hours to half a day to complete depending on how much time you afford yourself at the summit plateau. Once finished, if you're still interested in hiking more, I'd recommend the Wolf Tree Trail. In the end, Misery Ridge Trail is a fantastic hike to embark upon. Smith Rock State Park opens at 7am and for those early birds, you can venture out here first thing in the morning and get in some great hiking exercise for beginning your day.