HELLS CANYON ~ AMERICA’S DEEPEST RIVER GORGE 

By: Kacey Jackson

Snake River Adventures, LLC

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area straddles two states; Idaho and Oregon.  The Snake River, which flows through the canyon on its way to the Columbia River splits the canyon into two distinct parts.  To the east is the Idaho wilderness characterized by dry, barren slopes that drop into the canyon.  It is also home to the Seven Devils Mountain Range, so named for the seven dancing devils rumored to be seen by a lost Indian wandering in the area. The Oregon side is much larger than the Idaho side and features grassy slopes and areas dotted with Oregon’s state tree, the Douglas Fir.  The canyon is a spectacular land of somber canyons, wild waters, dramatic geology, wildlife, and evidence left by prehistoric and historic people.

Hells Canyon is America’s deepest river gorge, dropping more than a mile below Oregon’s western edge, and more than 8,000 feet from the peak of He Devil Mountain in Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountain Range. For nearly 6 million years the deep gorge has been carved by the steady erosive force of the Snake River. The oldest rocks in the canyon come from underwater volcanoes, which were created around 150 million years ago thanks to the jostling of the Earth’s tectonic plates. As recently as 6 million years ago, vast parts of Hells Canyon were inundated with lava, also contributing to the unique geological formations in the area.

The uniqueness of Hells Canyon brings in over 35,000 visitors each year.  Between April and November, five cruise lines anchor tour boats at the Clarkston Port’s 580-foot “Gateway Dock,” bringing several thousand tourists each year up the Columbia and Snake River to Clarkston.  Those companies are American Empress, American Cruise Lines, Uncruise Adventures, Lindblad Expeditions, LLC and Fantasy Cruises. Over 10,000 guests will take the tour into Hells Canyon.

Snake River Adventures offers tour packages that are specifically designed to each individual cruise ship.  In addition, daily tours depart from Hells Gate State Park in Lewiston, Idaho.

  • Half Day Tour: The half day tour runs to the historic Dug Bar location where Chief Joseph led his people from Oregon, across the Snake River to Idaho. The Chief was leading his people to the Lapwai Indian Reservation per orders from the U.S. Army.  The events before and after this crossing led to numerous battles and one of the greatest retreats in military history.
  • Full Day Tour: The full day jet tour features the canyon’s prehistory, history, geology, flora and fauna in addition to its beauty and exciting whitewater. It will go to the deepest portions of the canyon and from the Snake River you will view a cathedral of God’s own creation, with lofty walls and spires reaching heights of 9,393 feet, surpassing even the Grand Canyon!

Fun Facts:

  • The Snake River varies from two or three feet in some channels to 150 ft. at Deep Creek.
  • The average fall per mile from Hells Canyon Dam to the Oregon State line is 8.7 feet.
  • The 31.5 miles of river from Hells Canyon Dam to upper Pittsburg Landing is designated “wild”. The river is designated “scenic” for 36 miles below Pittsburg.  The balance of the river is undesignated, although dams are prohibited.
  • The river is full of small mouthed bass, channel and flathead catfish along with North America’s largest freshwater fish who lurk in large healthy numbers, the giant white sturgeon. These ancient fish reach lengths of 12 feet or more and are 75 to 100 years of age. Steelhead, big rainbow trout that spend part their life in the ocean, return every fall. Many steelhead smolts spend an extra year in fresh water before heading to the ocean, providing a great summer trout fishery.  Salmon return to the river in the spring, summer and fall.
  • One of our nation’s largest elk herds roam in Hells Canyon. Mule deer and white tail deer; big horn sheep bound canyon cliffs and mountain goats grace the Seven Devil’s peaks. Other species seen include black bear, bobcat, cougar, coyote, beaver, otter and rattlesnakes. The   Canyon is home to more than 420 species of wild creatures.
  • People have lived in the canyon. The earliest firm date comes from a rock shelter at Bernard Creek, 7,100 years ago.  A Clovis point found near the south end of the canyon indicates the possibility of human occupation 15,000 years ago. These people left ample evidence of their passing including some magnificent rock art at places like Buffalo Eddy. Figures carved into the rock are called petroglyphs, and pictures painted on the rock are called pictographs. There is no form of written language; their meanings are lost in time.
  • Most of the older rocks in the canyon came from underwater volcanoes when Hells Canyon’s terrains were part of an island arc in the mid-Pacific Ocean. These complex terrains glued themselves to North America about 150 million years ago as a result of tectonic plate movement. Vast areas were later covered with successive lava flows as recently as 6 million years ago. Uplifting from deep in the earth’s core formed the Seven Devils and Eagle Cap Mountains; a process that continues today. The canyon itself is a result of both uplifting and erosion. There is still evidence of recent basalt flows, limestone formed on the ocean floor, ancient lavas, alluvial deposits, and the remains of primeval swamps that grew on the island surfaces.
  • According to Carrey, Conley, and Barton, in their book Snake River of Hells Canyon, most of the early explorers referred to the gorge as Box Canyon or Snake River Canyon. The first reference to Hells Canyon appears in an 1895 edition of McCurdy’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest. In discussing the voyage of the steamboat, Norma, the author writes; “she then bound off, swinging into midstream, and like a racehorse, shot into Hells Canyon…” The name was used by the Mazama hiking club in their 1931 bulletin. Bailey’s book, Hells Canyon, was published in 1943.