Smith Rock State Park
| Smith Rock State Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| Type | Public, state |
| Location | Deschutes County, Oregon |
| Nearest city | Redmond |
| Coordinates | 44°22′09″N 121°08′18″W / 44.3692875°N 121.1383676°WCoordinates: 44°22′09″N 121°08′18″W / 44.3692875°N 121.1383676°W[1] |
| Area | 641 acres (259 ha) |
| Operated by | Oregon Parks and Recreation Department |
| Open | year round |
| Status | open |
| Official website | |
Smith Rock State Park is an American state park located in central Oregon's high desert near the communities of Redmond and Terrebonne. Its sheer cliffs of tuff and basalt are ideal for rock climbing of all difficulty levels. Smith Rock is generally considered the birthplace of modern American sport climbing, and is host to cutting-edge climbing routes. There is sport climbing, traditional climbing, multi-pitch climbing, and bouldering.
The park contains the first U.S. climb rated 5.14 (8b+). The area is well known for its challenging climbing routes so eventually all top climbers visit. In 1983, Allan Watts began to use sport climbing ethics which pushed American climbing to new levels. Shortly after, between 1992 and 2009, about 500 new climbing routes were added.[2] This brought climbers from all over the world as Smith Rock became the world capital for sport climbing. To this day the park still attracts climbers from all over the world. The winter tends to be too cold (below freezing) for climbing and the summer months regularly reach the 100s °F (40s °C).[3] In addition to the world-famous rock climbing, Smith Rock State Park is host to many miles of hiking trails, the meandering Crooked River and views of the volcanic peaks of Oregon's Cascade Range.
See also
References
- ↑ "Smith Rock State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ↑ Phuong Cat Le (September 20, 2007). "Climbing is the main attraction, but there are other reasons to visit". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Hearst Communications Inc.).
- ↑ Allan Watts (January 6, 2010). Rock Climbing: Smith Rocks. Falcon Guild (Morris Book). ISBN 978-0762741243.
External links
Media related to Smith Rock State Park at Wikimedia Commons
Smith Rock State Park travel guide from Wikivoyage- "Smith Rock State Park". Retrieved 2011-07-06., official Oregon Parks and Recreation Department site
- Smith Rock Revisited Documentary produced by Oregon Field Guide
- Top things to do at Smith Rock State Park By Visit Bend]