Smith Rock State Park years ago, a large caldera was formed when overlying rock collapsed into an underground lava chamber. This created a huge amount of rock and ash debris that filled the caldera. That material solidified into rock, becoming Smith Rock tuff. Rhyolite flows intruded along faults in the Smith Rock Tuff. A half million years ago, basalt lava flows from nearby volcanoes covered the older tuff. More recently, the Crooked River cut its way through the layers of rock to create today's geographic features. Smith Rock itself is a -high ridge (above sea level) with a sheer cliff-face overlooking a bend in
Boring Lava Field of the town of Boring. Volcanologists L. Siebert, T. Simkin, and P. Kimberly (2011) of the Global Volcanism Program list its highest elevation as , at Larch Mountain, with most vents reaching an elevation of . Located in the Portland Basin, the field consists of monogenetic volcanic cones that appear as hills throughout the area, reaching heights of above their surroundings. The collection includes more than 80 small volcanic edifices and lava flows in the Portland–Vancouver metropolitan area, with the possibility of more volcanic deposits buried under sedimentary rock layers. The borders for the Boring Lava Field group are clear,