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THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021
Photos by Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin
People walk back to their cars parked along the road at Smith Rock State Park. The park will add two new parking lots due to an increase in visitor numbers.
Central Oregon state park to see upgrades
By KYLE SPURR
The Bulletin
Smith Rock State Park has seen double
the number of visitors in recent years, leading
to an overfl ow of parking and overuse of the
trails and facilities. The steady increase in vis-
itors has led to people parking illegally along
nearby county roads, and hikers leaving con-
gested trails to stomp out their own unautho-
rized shortcuts.
To address the growing issues, Smith Rock
is set to receive $4 million to $6 million from
the state Legislature for upgrades throughout
the park off U.S. Highway 97 near Terrebonne.
Matt Davey, Smith Rock State Park man-
ager, said the park plans to complete the
upgrades by the end of 2024. The funding is
part of a $50 million package from the Leg-
islature to support state parks across Oregon.
“The ball is going to be rolling pretty quick
to get these projects completed around the
state, including at Smith Rock,” Davey said.
With the funds, the park plans to create two
new parking lots, Davey said. One lot will be
an expansion of the existing RV trailer lot near
the entrance of the park. The other lot will
expand and pave an overfl ow parking area on
a grass fi eld near the northern end of the park.
Davey said the two lots should provide
enough spaces to keep people from parallel
parking on Smith Rock Way, Wilcox Road
and 17th Street. The Deschutes County Sher-
iff ’s Offi ce began ticketing people in March
“We’re
more than
a lumber
yard”
Visitors fl ock to the trails at Smith Rock State Park. The state plans to add parking lots and a
visitors center at the park.
for parking on those roads.
The new parking lots should also keep peo-
ple from walking a mile from the county roads
outside the park, Davey said.
“One of the problems we have had is people
walking down the road when they park along
the parallel parking section,” Davey said. “We
are going to be looking to get people off of the
road so they don’t have to walk on it.”
Both lots will be connected to the park’s
trail system. The Rim Rock Trail at the south-
ern entrance of the park will be extended to the
north near the parking lot in the grass fi eld.
“That will give people the ability to walk
on a trail rather than the road from that north-
ern expanded parking lot,” Davey said.
Rim Rock Trail will also connect to a new
visitors center, which is being planned with the
state funding.
The new visitor center will be near the
RV trailer parking lot and closer to the main
entrance than the existing visitor center. The
current center is a converted yurt, which has
limited space, Davey said.
“It’s actually been very eff ective and peo-
ple have liked it, but it is small and it is limited
in what it can actually do,” Davey said. “Hav-
ing a well-designed, bigger visitor center will
work for multiple functions.”
Davey envisions having interpretive signs
and programs in the new visitors center. He is
pleased the center will be near the Rim Rock
Trail, which is recommended for hikers of all
abilities.
“By improving the Rim Rock Trail and
off ering a new visitors center, people can stop
and get oriented in choosing an option that is
going to best fi t their idea of an enjoyable day,”
Davey said.
In addition to the parking and trail improve-
ments, the state funding will go toward electri-
cal upgrades and a new restroom.
Specifi c design and construction plans are
still being determined, but Davey is thrilled to
have the support from the state Legislature to
begin the process of improving the park.
“It’s going to be busy, but it’s going to be
exciting,” Davey said. “It’s really great to see
Smith Rock get the attention that it really does
deserve.”
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