The Road to Smith Rock Is Open. The Park's Own Construction Starts Dec. 1.

"It's hard to make that left turn when you're leaving Smith Rock to get back onto US 97," ODOT spokesperson Kacey Davey told KTVZ in February. She said the new interchange would mean "people can just go right up to the interchange and use that to head south safely without ever having to cross traffic."

As of this month, that interchange is open. Deschutes County's road update for the week of Oct. 9 said that "Lower Bridge Way and Smith Rock Way are now open." The ribbon cutting followed on Monday, Oct. 12. Oregon State Parks has also posted a construction advisory for Smith Rock State Park that takes effect Dec. 1 and runs through May 31, 2027. So the hard part of a Smith Rock visit is moving from the highway into the park. The road opened more than seven weeks before the park advisory begins. From the Thursday this post goes up, a little under six weeks of that stretch are left.

The left turn onto US 97 is gone

The $39 million project on US 97 through Terrebonne was built for one main problem. Getting onto the highway, or across it, from local roads had become harder as traffic grew. The new full-access interchange at Lower Bridge Way "eliminates the need for drivers to make left turns across highway traffic," according to the MyCentralOregon report on the ribbon cutting. Funding included $20 million from Oregon's 2017 transportation package, House Bill 2017, and $10 million from Deschutes County.

Here is what the project built, according to ODOT:

• A full-access interchange at US 97 and Lower Bridge Way, with "dog bone" roundabouts underneath to keep local traffic moving
• A set of gentle curves at the south end of Terrebonne meant to slow drivers as they come into town
• A turnaround at the south end so southbound drivers can safely turn and head north on US 97
• An upgraded crossing at US 97 and B Avenue, plus a new enhanced pedestrian crossing at Central Avenue
• New and improved sidewalks, bike lanes and shoulders, including multi-use paths linked to Terrebonne Community School
• New pavement, signs, striping and lighting

Students from Terrebonne Community School came to the ribbon cutting to open the new multi-use paths. They brought artwork answering the question "What do safe roads mean to me?"

The work isn't completely done. ODOT's project page still lists it as under construction, with a schedule of Summer 2024 to Winter 2026. Crews spent the week of Oct. 9 placing landscape rock and installing signs, with no traffic impacts. The page has a sign-up for ODOT's weekly email updates, which is the simplest way to follow what's left.

The local work runs along Smith Rock Way to the old depot

For people who don't live in Terrebonne, the local road changes matter as much as the interchange. ODOT's project scope includes widening Smith Rock Way from 11th Street to the Terrebonne Depot access, with 11-foot travel lanes, 5-foot shoulder and bike lanes, and sidewalks. The scope also covers rebuilding 11th Street and installing dry sewer lines under 11th Street, B Avenue, C Avenue, Central Avenue and Smith Rock Way.

That stretch ends at the depot, which is now one of the newer places to eat in town. La Catrina Chingona, a Mexican restaurant and tequila bar, opened in the old railway building at 400 NW Smith Rock Way. Its grand opening was July 1, 2025. The Redmond Spokesman reported that, before it opened, passing train conductors would sometimes yell "Are you open yet?" at the building. Redpoint Climbing Coffee and Taps, a family business in Terrebonne since 1986, is also close to the route into the park.

Smith Rock Way still has a little work going on. The county's update for Oct. 18 to 24 lists ODOT water and sewer work along it. Expect minimal delays, and drive carefully on "the new roundabout and roadway alignments." For anyone who has made the same drive for years, the new layout will take a few trips to learn.

Inside the park, the construction starts Dec. 1

The highway project is wrapping up just as the park's own work is about to begin. Under the Oregon State Parks construction advisory, work starts "as early as December" and continues through the end of May 2027. Here's what it affects:

The advisory doesn't say what is being built. It also shouldn't be confused with the larger Smith Rock plan from Oregon Parks and Recreation. That plan included a welcome center with restrooms, upgrades to the main day-use parking and traffic flow, and trail work. OPRD's project page, last updated in November 2025, says it "has been put on hold until additional funding becomes available."

Losing the overflow lot will matter most on busy days. Wildlife closures can also overlap with this period. In 2026, nesting-season updates closed the Monument Area to climbing starting Jan. 10. The Smith Rock Group and First Kiss areas closed for falcon nesting starting March 14. Groups on the Canyon Trail near the bald eagle nest were limited to four people or fewer. All climbing closures weren't lifted until July 18. Those were this year's dates, and the 2027 schedule will depend on the birds. Still, this year's timing shows that from January on, construction may not be the only thing limiting access to the park.

What's on the calendar before Dec. 1

The road is open and the park construction hasn't started, so the next several weeks are a good time to go. Here's what's happening around Terrebonne starting the week this post goes up:

According to the Redmond Spokesman's pumpkin patch guide, Smith Rock Ranch opens every activity from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tokens are $5, maze tickets are $10, and the pumpkin patch and harvest market are free to walk through. The ranch has given its maze a different theme each year for more than 20 years. DD Ranch's fall season ends on Oct. 31. Activities are limited on Tuesdays through Fridays when school field trips are visiting.

Run The Rock weekend is worth planning around even if you're not racing. Alpine Running says that because parking is limited and the park keeps getting busier, every participant must park at DD Ranch and take a free shuttle. The 50K starts at 7 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, and the 25K at 9 a.m. The half marathon starts at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. The 50K climbs Misery Ridge, passes below Monkey Face and loops around Gray Butte. Expect runners on those trails and shuttle traffic on Smith Rock Way on race mornings.

Parking in the park itself

Smith Rock already required a day-use parking permit before Oregon State Parks started charging at 22 more parks this spring, so nothing changed here. As of this fall, a daily permit costs $10 for Oregon residents and $12 for nonresidents. A 12-month permit costs $60 for residents and $75 for nonresidents, and the digital version can cover two license plates. A daily permit is good all day at any state park that charges a day-use fee. If you visit more than a handful of times a year, the annual permit can save money, though from December on the overflow lot may not always be open to use it.

At Brandon Cook Bostick, we follow how projects like the Lower Bridge Way interchange change everyday driving around Terrebonne and the rest of north Deschutes County. If you own a home near Smith Rock Way or 11th Street and want to know where it stands now that the highway work is nearly finished, ask us for a free home valuation. We'll give you a straight, local answer.