Smith Rock's Misery Ridge and River Trail

For Naomi’s birthday weekend, the family headed to Bend for a closish getaway. I was due to shoot the Lapine Loop adventure race on Sunday, but Saturday was reserved for some family time. And when in Bend, we always head just a bit north to Smith Rock State Park and hike the Misery Ridge trail. Mika’s boyfriend Romy came along and did great tagging along with our hike-loving family.

This hike is among my favorites of all time, though I’ve only done it probably 4 times now. It is relatively short, but without water along it can be brutal depending on when you go. Our day was chilly with snow flurries coming down, so we didn’t go through much water. The zigzag uphill isn’t too bad if you’re in ok shape, but the way down on the other side is steep at parts and keeping your footing can be a challenge for some.

The monkey face is more visible as you head towards the bottom of the trail near the water’s edge. So we had some fun with that. Check out alltrails for more deets. As we follow the river back towards the footbridge that heads towards the parking lot, it is always a lot of fun to watch the rock climbers.