Hells Canyon

The Snake River runs between Idaho and Oregon here and the vertical relief from the water to He Devil Peak in the Seven Devils is over 2,400 metres, which makes it deeper than the Grand Canyon and the deepest river gorge in North America - though it does not look it, because the canyon is broad and the walls are stepped rather than sheer. Very few roads reach it. Access is mostly by water: jet boats run from both ends and rafting permits for the wild section are lottery-allocated. Three dams, licensed in 1955 and built over the following years, blocked salmon and steelhead entirely from the upper Snake with no fish passage. Nez Perce people lived in the canyon and rock art and pit house sites remain along the river.

Highlights

• Over 2,400 metres of relief - the deepest river gorge in North America.
• A broad stepped canyon - which is why the depth does not read.
• Access mainly by water - jet boat or lottery-permit raft.
• Nez Perce sites - rock art and pit house remains along the river.

When to go

May to September. A full day by jet boat, several by raft.

Good to know

Rafting permits are allocated by lottery months ahead. Roads to the rim are long, rough and few. Summer temperatures in the canyon bottom are extreme. Rattlesnakes and poison ivy are common along the river.

Nearby

The Seven Devils are on the Idaho rim; the Wallowas are on the Oregon side.

Key facts