Classic Smith Rock, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

Whether you're hiking along the trail that follows the Crooked River through the park or doing some rock climbing, the scenery at Smith Rock is always inspiring. Morning light highlights the colors in the massive rocks that draw thousands of rock climbers and hikers to the park throughout the year.

Reflections at Smith Rock, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

On a May visit to Smith Rock State Park, the late afternoon sun highlighted the tops of some of the peaks and helped to create nice reflections in the Crooked River.

Snow On The Rocks

A covering of snow sure changes the appearance of familiar scenes! The rocks really stand out when there is snow covering the landscape at Smith Rock State Park. (The watermark is for copyright protection and will not be on the printed photograph.)

Sunset At Smith Rock, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

A November sunset at Smith Rock State Park. A colorful sky, with clouds that blew by quickly in gusty winds. Just a bit of snow lingered on the hills from a recent snowfall, and as things warmed up, the thawing created some very muddy trails.

Red Sky At Night, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

On a November evening at Smith Rock State Park, I watched the clouds in the sky turn red in the twilight following the sunset. Lingering snow on the hillside shows up like sprinkled sugar, and this view shows one of the hiking trails leading to the river outlined with snow.

Vibrant Sunset At Smith Rock

A vibrant at Smith Rock State Park. A colorful sky, with clouds that blew by quickly in gusty winds. Just a bit of snow left, and the thawing created some very muddy trails.

Smith Rock Overview, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

At Smith Rock State Park, there is a nice overview looking southwest from the high trails in the north part of the park. From the Summit Trail where it meets the Burma Road Trail, you can look down at the massive rocks of the park, with the surrounding area and the Cascade Mountains in the distance.

Smith Rock Overview-Vertical, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

At Smith Rock State Park, there is a nice overview looking southwest from the high trails in the north part of the park. From the Summit Trail where it meets the Burma Road Trail, you can look down at the massive rocks of the park, with the surrounding area and the Cascade Mountains in the distance.

A Winter Mood At Smith Rock

I love visiting Smith Rock State Park in the winter, especially when the park is transformed by a covering of snow. (The watermark is for copyright protection and will not be on the printed photograph.)

Morning At Smith Rock, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

The morning sun created a warm glow on some of the massive boulders and climbing walls at Smith Rock State Park. For a sense of scale on the size of these climbing walls, if you look carefully, you can see hikers walking along the trail that follows the Crooked River as it winds through the park.

A Touch Of Yellow At Smith Rock, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

Yellow Balsamroot wildflowers added a nice touch of color on a May visit to Smith Rock State Park.

Monkey Face, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

Monkey Face is a 350-foot spire that is the centerpiece of Smith Rock State Park. Rock climbers from all over the world come to tackle this ultimate rock-climbing challenge. There was a guy climbing up when I took this photo. If you look carefully, you can see him on the right side of the spire at about the same height as the base of the mountains in the distance.

Top Of Misery Ridge Trail, Smith Rock State Park, Central Oregon

Near the top of the Misery Ridge Trail at Smith Rock State Park. As you head down the backside of the trail, you have a sweeping view of the mountains and terrain, plus you look right at the "face" of Monkey Face on the top of the 350-foot spire that is the centerpiece of Smith Rock State Park and a famous rock climbing destination.