HELLS CANYON…

Although the Grand Canyon, through which the Colorado River flows is undoubtedly the King and Queen of all Canyons, especially in North America, it is not the deepest; this accolade belongs to Hell’s Canyon in Idaho.

The Snake River at the bottom of Hells Canyon plunges more than a mile below Oregon’s west rim, and 8,000 feet below snowcapped He Devil Peak of Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains. There are no roads across Hells Canyon’s 10-mile wide expanse, and only three roads that lead to the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon-Washington boundary.

About 67.5 miles of the Snake River in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area were designated in 1975 as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Here, the river is managed to preserve its free-flowing character and unique environment while providing for continued public use. The outstanding remarkable values for which the river was designated include: scenic, recreation, geologic, wildlife, fisheries, and cultural resources (historic & prehistoric).

The 31.5-mile section of the river between Hells Canyon Dam and Upper Pittsburg Landing is designated wild under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. This act defines wild as “free of impoundments and generally accessible only by trail” representing “vestiges of primitive America.” The 36-mile section of river downstream from Upper Pittsburg Landing to mile 180.2 is designated scenic, which is defined as “free of impoundments with shorelines and watersheds still largely primitive, and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads.” An additional 4.2 miles of the river from mile 180.2 north to the HCNRA boundary at the Oregon-Washington line is recommended for scenic designation.

The mighty Snake River winds its way through Hells Canyon, the deepest river-carved gorge in North America. At the mouth of Granite Creek, approximately seven miles downstream from  Hells Canyon Dam, the river elevation is 1,480 feet. The canyon depth here is 7,913 feet when measured from He Devil Mountain, towering over Idaho’s Seven Devils range at 9,393 feet. Above Rush Creek Rapids, Hat Point Lookout offers a spectacular view of the canyon from 6,982 feet, the highest point on the Oregon rim.

Rafting and powerboating the rapids of Hells Canyon is not recommended for the inexperienced or poorly equipped. For floaters, portaging or lining through or around many of the rapids is difficult if not impossible. For powerboaters, open bows or overloaded boats are dangerous in rapids. It is strongly recommended that prior to running these rapids you stop and scout the water for the best and safest route. If you are at all uncertain about your white water skills, go with an experienced professional outfitter/guide service that is licensed on this river.

Rapids will change considerably with different flows; some will become more turbulent and others will disappear. Water flows may vary from 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) in summer to 70,000 cfs or more in spring runoff.  Since the river is controlled by dams, flows can vary from day to day and even hour to hour. You can obtain current and projected flow information by calling Idaho Power Company’s Snake River information line at (800) 422-3143.

The Snake is a big river with power many river users have never experienced. You must treat this river with respect; your life depends on it. The river doesn’t care!

The table below gives a summary of the ratings applied to some of the important rapids in Hells Canyon at  both low and high flows.

Floaters should allow two to three days for the trip from Hells Canyon Creek Recreation Site to Pittsburg Landing, and four to six days to Heller Bar, especially during low river flows.

To help you plan your trip, the table below gives some important reference points on the river and their distances from Hells Canyon Creek Recreation Site (HCC), the Lewiston/Clarkston Valley (L/C, at Hellsgate State Park), and Pittsburg Landing (PL).

  1 comment

1 Comment.

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  Mr C says:

  March 7, 2009 at 7:37 pm

  Courtesy of Joyce:

  http://withoutbaggage.com/essays/hells-canyon&d=Hells+Canyon%2C+Idaho/