Coming north on Highway 97 toward Lower Bridge Way, the old wait for a gap in highway traffic is gone. Drivers now turn right and loop through a pair of roundabouts that The Bulletin compared to two roundabouts side by side when seen from above. Lower Bridge Way and Smith Rock Way are open to cars again. Crews are wrapping up landscaping along the highway.
The new interchange sends more traffic toward Smith Rock State Park, and a month from now the park starts work on the other end of that trip. Getting to the park and parking once you arrive are two parts of the same problem. Terrebonne is about to see the first part finished and the second part started within a few weeks of each other.
The Roundabout Took the Left Turn Off the Table
Central Oregon Daily described the problem in plain terms. Turning left from the side streets onto the highway had been treacherous. With the dogbone in place, drivers make a right and go through the roundabout before continuing on. The outlet also reported a ribbon cutting scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12, and asked drivers to slow down until they get used to the new layout.
The park was part of the reason for the design from the start. In February, KTVZ reported that ODOT public information officer Kacey Davey described how the interchange would let Smith Rock visitors turn right and head south without crossing Highway 97 traffic.
Some work is still going on. ODOT's project page for the US 97 and Lower Bridge Way interchange was updated Oct. 20. It showed crews working on water and sewer lines along Smith Rock Way during the week of Oct. 16 to 23, with minimal delays expected. The construction schedule still reads "Summer 2024 – Winter 2026." That puts the project at well over two years since its May 2, 2024 bid date. The project also covers speed-lowering measures and pedestrian safety improvements, not just the interchange. For updates on what's left on Smith Rock Way, ODOT offers weekly email notices through that same page.
The Same Fix Moves Inside the Park Gate
The second project starts where the drive ends. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's GO Bond page for Smith Rock was last updated in October 2026. It describes a project built around parking and foot traffic:
- Improve and pave the overflow parking lot to provide additional year-round permanent parking
- Repair and resurface the existing Rim Rock Trail from the main day-use parking area north to the picnic shelter
- Build a new accessible trail connecting the picnic shelter to North Point and the overflow lot
- Add a new accessible restroom serving the overflow lot and North Point, if budget allows
The key phrase is "year-round permanent parking." Today the overflow lot is the backup spot. After this project it becomes paved parking that's available every season. OPRD puts the revised GO Bond estimate at $2 million and was also awarded a Land and Water Conservation grant toward construction.
The new Welcome Center is not part of this round. OPRD has put that project on hold until more funding comes in. The agency says it is focusing on extending the life of existing facilities rather than adding new ones, and will put the remaining bond money toward its maintenance backlog. So this winter's work is about parking and trails, and the building at the main lot stays as it is.
Where the Work Lands on the Map
Oregon State Parks has posted a construction advisory in effect from Dec. 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. It says work could disrupt some areas starting as early as December. The North Point Amphitheater is closed to all reservations for that period. OPRD says the park stays open throughout, with only active construction zones closed.
The park's 2023 master plan names two main day-use areas. North Point sits at the end of Crooked River Drive. The Chute and Welcome Center area is where the park's only footbridge across the river begins. The work is concentrated at the north end of the rim.
| Area | Where it sits | Status in the Dec. 1 to May 31 advisory |
|---|---|---|
| Overflow Parking Lot | Gravel lot about 200 feet south of North Point | Named for periodic closures |
| North Point Loop Trail and adjacent parking | End of Crooked River Drive | Named for periodic closures |
| Rim Rock Trail | Main day-use lot north to the picnic shelter | Sections named for periodic closures |
| North Point Amphitheater | North Point day-use area | Closed to all reservations |
| NE Crooked River Drive | Residential road to North Point | Residential access not expected to be disrupted |
The canyon trails are not listed in the advisory. The master plan describes Misery Ridge as starting past the footbridge and climbing toward Monkey Face. It puts the River Trail along the canyon bottom. Homestead Trail descends from North Point and runs south along the river toward the Chute Trail and the footbridge. If you usually park up north and walk down, that link is the one most likely to change week to week. The closures are described as periodic, so check the park's notices page before heading out on a winter morning.
The November Window
A reader seeing this on Thursday, Oct. 29 has about a month before the advisory takes effect. The dates add up like this:
- Saturday, Oct. 31. Smith Rock Ranch ends its season at 4 p.m. on Halloween, after opening Sept. 26.
- Sunday, Nov. 15. The park's posted bivouac season ends. Bivouac sites are first come, first served, weather-dependent and $12 per person per night.
- Tuesday, Dec. 1. The construction advisory takes effect. North Point, the overflow lot and the north stretch of Rim Rock Trail can close at times through May 31, 2027.
During those weeks, the new interchange is open and the north end of the park is still untouched. Day-use hours stay at dawn to dusk. Parking costs $10 a day for Oregon residents and $12 for nonresidents. The annual permit runs $60 for residents and $75 for nonresidents, and it pays for itself after six resident day passes. Welcome Center hours change with visitor numbers, holidays, events and volunteer staffing, and OPRD posts the monthly schedule at the park.
The fall's organized events at the park are already over. Redpoint held its Smith Rock Climbing Festival on Oct. 3, and the Smith Rock Group fall Trail Day was Oct. 4. For the rest of the year, anyone on the trails is there on their own schedule.
Before and After a Cold Hike
Short winter days put more weight on what's open along the drive in. These are the hours each business lists on its own website. None of them are labeled as winter hours, so call ahead around the holidays.
Redpoint Climbers Supply runs a coffee shop and taphouse along with the gear counter. It lists hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays, which covers both an early start and the walk back out at dusk.
Oliver Lemon's Terrebonne lists 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, the longest daily hours of any business on this list.
La Catrina Chingona cooks in what Source Weekly called the historic Terrebonne Depot when it covered the restaurant's arrival in 2025. The restaurant's own site lists noon to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards sits about 14 miles from the park. Its tasting room lists noon to 5 p.m. daily. Friday and Saturday evenings bring live music from 6 to 9 p.m., and tastings aren't available during music nights. It closes Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
By spring, Terrebonne should have a finished interchange at Lower Bridge Way and a paved overflow lot that OPRD intends as permanent, year-round parking at the north end of the rim. Between now and then, the drive in is the easy part, and the park's notices page tells you whether North Point is open before you leave.
Heather Osgood has spent years studying how access, roads and land use shape daily life on Central Oregon property, including the stretch of Terrebonne between the highway and the Crooked River. If you're weighing a place near Smith Rock and want to know how projects like these affect a specific road or parcel, Heather Osgood is glad to go through it with you. Let's Connect.
