Vicinity Location: The trailhead is about 114 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon at Smith Rock State Park.

Directions:
From Portland, drive east on Highway 26, then take Highway 97 South. Turn left at Terrebonne, following the signs to Smith Rock State Park.

There are restrooms at the trailhead.

Note: An Oregon State Park permit is required to park at trailhead.

Trail:
Smith Rock Trail, Summit View Trail, and Misery Ridge Trail with connections to other trails.

There is a geocache at: N 44° 22.132 W 121° 08.475 Info at Geocaching.com 

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Length and Elevation:
9.2 miles Roundtrip for the loop. Elevation at the trailhead is 2,830 feet. Elevation gain totals 2,040 feet. Total gain and loss is 4,080 feet. Highest elevation is 3,560 feet.

Adding trip up Misery Ridge is 1.3 miles roundtrip from the bridge and 900 feet gain with an additional total of 1,800 feet of elevation gain and loss.

Review: October 20, 2012.

From the main trailhead, take any trail down to a meadow and picnic area next to a footbridge that crosses the Crooked River. There is a water fountain to the right of the bridge seasonally. Take time to admire the views as you cross the bridge. Take a left after the bridge and walk along the relatively flat trail that wanders along the picturesque Crooked River. The river makes very pleasant sounds as it gurgles through the canyon.

Going along Smith Rocks you’ll pass many different kinds and colors of rocks, from breccia to rock cliffs the color of malachite, to cliffs tinged with reds and browns. A perfect place for a fall hike on this wide, well maintained trail.

After following the river downstream for 2.4 miles and around a horseshoe bend, you reach the junction for the Mesa Verde Trail, which goes over Smith Rock. From here, continue along the river, passing Monkey Face rock.

The trail remains in the flood plain for the Crooked River for a bit more, until 2.9 miles from the trailhead, where you reach the 2nd junction for the Mesa Verde Trail.

From here, The Summit Loop Trail, a lesser maintained trail, begins to ascend, drifting away from the river. After a short time you reach the beginning of a newly constructed trail continues to climb away from the Crooked River. As you walk up the winding path, you pass among the juniper and underneath the many-colored and textured pinnacles at Smith Rock State Park.

After walking just over 3.25 miles and climbing up above the river, the trail turns to the right, crossing an easement across private land and away from the river. Here the view change and suddenly everything looks much drier than down by the river. Follow the sandy route as it continues gently uphill as the trail winds up a draw and reaches a junction near the top of the draw. Turn left, heading north, and continue climbing just a bit over a hump, then drop down a little. The views here look down into the valley and of the Three Sisters to the southwest and the cone of Black Butte to the west.

Soon you begin a climb of at least a dozen switchbacks going up to one of the highest points in the park. Eventually you reach an old road that goes through a saddle. There are some nice views down into the park, but also some cliffs near the edge of the trail. This is the highest point along the trail.

From the saddle, at about 5.2 miles from the trailhead, drop down along Burma Road and cross over an irrigation canal, and follow the canal as it winds out of the park. For a shorter trip, turn right about 500 feet after crossing the canal, where the road bears left. Drop down into the valley and follow the Crooked River back to the trailhead.

From here you can see one of the parking areas a short distance away, a short distance if you are a bird, because the Crooked River and basalt cliffs are straight ahead.

Continuing on the longer route, follow the road along the irrigation canal for .7 mile, enjoying nice views of the hills to the left. Look for a large boulder that is between the upper and lower road. When you get to the boulder, look for a small user trail that goes to the left of the rock and join the lower road.

Turn right here and walk along the lower road for about .3 mile. Look for a tiny user trail veering off about 90 degrees from the road on the left. If you have small children, it is best to walk back along the road and bypass this next section of the trail. Otherwise, walk gently downhill about 500 feet to the edge of the canyon and turn right, heading back towards the trailhead. This trail down to the canyon can be indistinct at times, so if you lose the trail, bear slightly to the right as you walk downhill. Remember to watch out for rattlesnakes.

This next section of trail is right along the edge of basalt cliffs and provides nice views looking down on the river. After walking about .5 mile, the trail turns to the right and joins the Student Wall trail then descend steeply down a small valley. Pick your way down a few switchbacks to the junction of Burma Road and Student Wall Trail.

Continue down a bit farther is the junction for Wolf Tree Trail. Turn right and walk along the river, admiring the variations of the different peaks in Smith Rock State Park. Going downstream the trail closely parallels the river and passes under a large pine tree with an inviting bench to sit on.

From here, continue along the mostly level flood plain back to the bridge over the Crooked River and back uphill to the parking lot, or turn right and take the Misery Ridge Trail.

The Misery Ridge Trail climbs steeply using a few hundred stairs and many switchbacks. After gaining about 900 feet in elevation, you top out on the rock with a nice view of the countryside. Walk along the trail, heading generally south and get a nice view of Monkey Face. Head back down to the bridge the way you came up.

This is a “must hike” trail. It is best in the spring or fall and the rocks look their best in the early morning light. Sunrise is an especially nice time to watch the changing colors of the rocks as the sunlight plays across the rocks.

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Vicinity Location: The trailhead is about 38 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. 

Directions:
From Battle Ground, WA, take Hwy 503 North to Chelatchie Prairie. Turn East (right) at the Chelatchie Prairie General Store and gas station, onto NE Healy road. The store is on the northeast corner of Hwy 503 and NE Healy road. NE Healy road changes into Forest Road 54 after a few miles. 

Follow this route for about 9 miles from the general store. Look for the “pavement ends sign” and turn left, uphill, on FR 57.
 
After another mile turn left again onto Rd. 5701. The road may be unsigned but it is the junction just past a quarry on the left. Follow this mostly paved road to the trailhead in a little more than 4.9 miles from the junction with FR 57. 

Even though the high point on the road is less than 2000 feet in elevation, late winter snow can block this road. This is because after it crosses a ridge, the road is in the shade as it drops down to the trailhead.

Call the Gifford Pinchot National Forest for current information at (360) 891-5000 or visit the Gifford Pinchot Recreation webpage for the road and snopark information.

There are no restrooms at the trailhead. The nearest bathrooms are at the Mt. St. Helens Monument Headquarters in Chelatchie Prairie (Amboy).

Note: No permits are required to park at the trailhead.

Trail:
GPNF Trail 130 and 140.

There is a geocache along trail 130 at: N 45° 57.645 W 122° 08.309 Info at Geocaching.com 

Trail Maps:
Topo Map, Download Garmin .gpx file

Length and Elevation:
10.5 Miles Roundtrip for the loop. Elevation gain totals 3,500 feet. Total gain and loss is 7,000 feet. Highest elevation is 3,345 feet.

Review: October 13, 2012. 

From the main trailhead at Siouxon Creek, follow the trail gently downhill to the left for about 100 feet to a junction for the Siouxon Creek trail. As of this review, the trail sign has been shot several times. Turn right at the junction and continue gently downhill. Soon the sounds of a tributary to Siouxon Creek can be heard. The wide, well maintained trail leads to a log bridge over the small creek after about .1 mile. The water of the stream is crystal clear and flows about 10 feet below the single-log bridge.

Soon the trail passes a camping area that is used heavily during the summer by car campers. The trail goes along the creek, through an open second-growth forest. The understory here is mainly ferns and apple clover. 

At a junction in about .75 mile, a small trail parallels Siouxon Creek trail for about .2 mile, passes a small campsite, and ends at the junction for the Horseshoe ridge trail.

Turn right and you’ll know you are on the correct trail because as soon as you start, the trail begins climbing steeply away from Siouxon Creek. The first part of the trail is well maintained. Several work parties have cleared deadfalls off the trail during the last few years. 

The trail bolts up the hill, like a lightning bolt with short, jagged switchbacks which almost seem vertical. After trudging upwards for more than an hour, you get a short break in the climb as you reach a shoulder on the ridge, but you’re not nearly done with the ascent. 

The trail veers to the left and keeps climbing up the ridge, though not quite as steeply as on the lower section. Now at about 4,000 feet, there are a few huckleberries, Oregon grape, salal, and mosses, but not much else. The canopy of the hemlock and the elevation have combined to choke out most of the undergrowth. 

After a moderate amount of elevation gain, the trail yet again hits another very steep climb. This hike is a strong workout for your calves, stretching them tight with every step.

After walking about 1.8 miles, the trail passes a rocky promontory that has some views on a clear day. Eventually the trail breaks out to a vista looking south, then continues along the spine of the sawthtooth ridge without the aid of switchbacks. 

2 miles from the trailhead, the trail begins to level out but still has some short steep sections and even some short descents. Travel below the ridgeline for a bit, avoiding some of the knobby, worn-down teeth of Horseshoe Ridge. All too soon the trail climbs and crests the ridge again, continuing northwest. 


At 2.4 miles, walk past kinnikinnick and a carpet of juniper as you got through a couple of tiny mountainside meadow which have some views to the northeast. 

The trail here is not as steep but still climbs gently towards the high point the trail, 2.5 miles from the trailhead at 3,345 feet in elevation. In another .5 mile, cross two more meadows with kinnikinnick, juniper, and short grasses, with views to the northeast. Pay attention along this section because even a small layer of snow on the ground will cover any traces of the sketchy trail in the second meadow. If you are looking for where the trail reenters the woods, look level, or just slightly uphill.

Fog and mist enveloped me as I re-entered the forest and the dank forest felt ominous with trees leaning over the trail with dead branches dangling down about head and shoulder level, like they’re waiting to grab you as you walk through the dim forest. Other trees crouch near the ground, waiting for their chance to trip you, as you try to avoid the grasping branches. Dark ominous roots have crept into the trail from deep in the ground, waiting for their chance to seize your boot as you hurry by in the ever increasing gloominess. 

Other branches scrape across your neck as you begin to worry if anyone would ever find you if something happened to you on this spooky trail. Other branches bar you way, hoping to draw a drop of blood as you push by, seeking to find the end of this gloom. 

After escaping the clutches of the eerie forest, one last trick has been played. The trail builders built in another 100 feet of gain before beginning a gradual descent.

After dropping down for a bit, pass by a hunting camp, climb a bit, then drop down to an old road. Turn left at the road and walk about 100 feet to where the trail goes back into the woods. 

At first the trail descends gradually, crossing a steep slope on a very narrow tread. After about a mile, the trail drops sharply down towards Siouxon Creek. After about .6 mile of sharp descent, the way gets easier and the tread becomes wider. Switchback down to the Siouxon Creek Trail and turn left, heading back towards the trailhead. 

Walk a little more than 2 miles, passing Siouxon Creek Falls and Horseshoe Creek Falls, watching out for mountain bikers. 

This is a difficult trail with the rapid elevation gain, the many deadfalls that seem to plague this trail, and the sections of narrow tread. This is a great trail for a good workout or conditioning hike. You could go for a dip in the cold Siouxon Creek if hiking this on a hot day. 

Happy Halloween

Enjoy the photos!!

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