I love to make the most of my weekends or days off. That means I’m always looking for new spots to drive to, hike around, and bring my dog Max! Recently, Max, my boyfriend and I took a trip out to Fort Rock State Park and then Crack-in-the-Ground. Exploring Fort Rock and Crack-in-the-ground with your dog is easier than you think.
How to get there
Fort Rock is only an hour and a half drive outside of Bend.
Following US-97 South past La Pine, take Fremont Highway to HWY CR-5-10. There you’ll find the quiet little town of Fort Rock, in the middle of, well, nowhere.
You can see Fort Rock from miles away and it’s quite impressive. There is a little museum in town, however it was closed when we made the trip. The dusty road leads to the State Park Natural Area and there is a decent sized parking lot with restrooms. As we neared closer, it became quite exciting to lay our eyes upon this rock formation!
Fort Rock is a natural phenomenon. Described as a Tuff ring about 4,460 feet in diameter and standing at about 200 feet high above the plains. This natural area was created by ancient magma, and the entire area was once actually a lake.
What to bring to Fort Rock
After we parked, I grabbed my water bottle, fanny pack and a collapsible water bowl for Max, and we hit the trail. There are several trails as you approach the rock formation, and from what I could see on the maps, they all lead to the same area. It’s all wide open space, so easy to not lose your way or get lost. This is a leashed area, and I definitely recommend following those rules. We crossed paths with several people and could also see little groups of hikers out and about from a distance, and there were plenty of other dogs.
Fort Rock is relaxing and quiet under the sun, but fully exposed, so I recommend sunscreen, plenty of water, and making sure your dog is comfortable. There can also be sharp rocks leading up to the lookout areas, so I would even recommend dog booties for a trip like this if you’re going to try to get up to a vantage point.
After spending a little less than 2 hours just wandering around and taking photos, we decided to head out to our second destination – Crack-in-the-Ground!
How to get to Crack-in-the-Ground
This natural park is close by, if you follow the road further east to Christmas Highway and then make a left onto Crack in the Ground Road. This is where some patience will come in, as this is a dirt road leading to “The Crack” is almost 10 miles long, and a very slow drive. Crack-in-the-Ground with your dog isn’t as treacherous as it sounds!
Dirt road? No problem!
We were driving in my Subaru Impreza, but I do think any car could make this trek. The dirt road is level, barely any potholes, however there is the presence of corrugation, also known as “washboarding”. The road is basically comprised of endless ripples that are formed from the passage of so many cars. This erosion makes it almost impossible to drive 20mph without bumping a lot, so it is a very slow 10 mile drive out to the Crack-in-the-Ground!
Once we arrived there was a little parking lot, one lone bathroom and a sign leading out to the crack. We followed the very short trail, and there it was! We stood on level ground, looking from left to right at the two entrances to the crack in the ground. The entrance to the left was not very accessible, but we wandered around and checked it out regardless. The entrance to the right was perfect for a short little hike “underground”.
What to bring to Crack-in-the-Ground with your dog
This formation created by an ancient volcanic fissure around 2 miles long and up to 70 feet lower than the earth’s surface, is such a unique spot. I would suggest bringing a jacket as the temperature once you enter the crack is probably 30 degrees lower than the outside temperature! There was also snow and some ice inside the crack, and I’m not sure how late into the season that remains, so I would recommend Ice Trax for humans and also dog booties for a pup, just in case!
Crack-in-the-Ground with your dog is fun, but I love that you can also see Fort Rock and the wonders of this area – just a short drive outside of Bend. This space was really interesting to explore. We didn’t run into any other humans while we were out there, so it was very peaceful to have this ancient natural area all to ourselves. Getting to spend time outside in both of these unique places was a great day trip for us and for Max. He loved smelling all the new smells and we loved spending time off the grid and the more grounded in nature.
Author: Liz Uhlman
Liz has loved all animals since she was a child, from growing up with dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and horses. She worked on and off with horses for over 10 years in her spare time, while working a variety of jobs. Then, in her late 20's, she started making pet care her career. She began part time work as a dog walker and pet sitter in Philadelphia, and then formed her own LLC and started her own pet care business. Liz got into this business because she envisioned a life for herself that was bigger than just faking it at a job she didn't have a passion for. Since getting into pet care full time, Liz made the leap and moved to Bend, Oregon in summer of 2020 and continued her business here. Liz loves the connections and relationships she has built with other pet sitters, dog walkers and clients. She has learned an immense amount through personal experience and has recently taken her passion to the next level, and is enrolled in Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Trainers. Liz hopes to continue learning every day through furthering her education and eventually working full-time as a positive reinforcement dog trainer…