camping: Smith Rock State Park

On this early spring camping trip, we stayed at the Climbers Bivouac campground for easy access to Smith Rocks’s scenic hiking trails.

Trip planning

Camping at Smith Rock in the spring has become an annual tradition for me and my friends. This high desert location is incredibly scenic and the camp area has a laid-back rock climber vibe that’s fun to hang out at.

After driving from Portland, we setup camp and cooked dinner in the designated kitchen area, then explored the Rim Trail at sunset.

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The next day, we headed out from the campground to hike the Summit loop. The trails we took to complete this loop included the following: Rope deDope Trail, Canyon Trail, Wolf Tree Trail, Burma Road, and the Summit Trail. When we reached the junction with the Misery Ridge Trail, my friends headed up the steep trail while I finished off the loop on the River Trail and back to camp.

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