Smith Rock State Park, Oregon, United States May 16, 2026

What do you call a place where the rocks do the climbing, and humans try to keep up? Welcome to Smith Rock State Park in Oregon, where cliffs rise fast, and excuses fall faster. It sits inside the 40-kilometre-long Crooked River Caldera, shaped by multiple volcanic eruptions. Its welded tuff cliffs are made from compressed volcanic ash that cooled under pressure. The Crooked River carved the canyon, while formations like the Spire rise up to 180 metres.

© Alex Ratson/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Serene waters on a trembling earth
Owl be seeing you ... somewhere!
May 16, 2024International Day of Light
May 16, 2025Endangered Species Day

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Who uses this grassy bridge?
Mar. 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
Mar. 18, 2026Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, USA
Apr. 23, 2026Shakespeare Day
A view that’s out of this world
Heavenly hot springs
May 1, 2024Lei Day
Jan. 23, 2025Sundance Film Festival
Standing on glass 275+ metres in the air
Dec. 27, 2023Kirkjufell, Iceland
May 15, 2026Endangered Species Day
Sep. 18, 2023Milky Way over Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park
Sep. 1, 2025Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Apr. 9, 2024World Ski and Snowboard Festival
Jan. 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
May 27, 2024Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve
Oct 3, 202620th Nuit Blanche Toronto
Oct. 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon
Nov. 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Jun. 17, 2024Pollinator Week
Oct. 19, 2023Mekong River Delta, Long An, Vietnam
Apr. 16, 2025Anniversary of Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, United States
Jun. 22, 2024World Rainforest Day
Dec. 27, 2024Lake Bled, Slovenia
World Hippo Day, a giant celebration
Jun. 28, 2024Stonewall uprising anniversary
Trails leading to the gateway of nature.
Whats blooming so brightly?
Feb. 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
The other continent down under