Stock up on groceries before you check in. There are good stores in Madras and having your own snacks and drinks means you can be out the door at 6am without waiting for anything to open. Early starts at Smith Rock specially are worth planning around, the light in the canyon in the morning is something else.
Smith Rock gets crowded fast on weekends, faster than most people expect for what feels like a remote location. Getting to the main parking before 8am puts you ahead of the rush and gives you the canyon in soft morning light. The drive from the motel is short enough that this is very realistic to pull off.
Layering is non-negotiable in central Oregon whatever season you visit. Summer mornings can be genuinely cold even when afternoons hit 90 degrees. Keep a fleece somewhere accessible not buried in your bag, because the temperature swings here are real and they happen pretty fast.
If youre coming for an eclipse or star party, book as early as you possibly can. Madras became quite well known in the astronomy community after a big total solar eclipse few years back and the whole region fills up far in advance for any major sky event. Early booking also locks in rates before they climb.
Ask the staff where to eat breakfast. Seriously just ask them. They know which diner in town is actually good, which fishing spot is running well right now, which trailhead is less crowded on a saturday morning. That kind of local knowledge is worth more than anything on a review app and the staff here are the type who will tell you straight.