hells canyon national recreation area

We took the jet boat tour up the canyon and it was an amazing trip. We stopped at the old ranch and had a picnic lunch. We saw tons of wildlife including sheep/rams, deer, an eagle and more. Our tour let us out at a neat little waterfall too and it was very fun wading in the water and getting drenched by the cool water on a hot day. Most of the trip you are between two steep cliffs and every so often you hit some whitewater - nothing too serious in the jet boat - though if you sit in the back of the boat you're probably going to get wet!

This unique area and overlook is a must-see while exploring NE Oregon. The views of Seven Devils and other spots of the canyon are splendid. Take your time and enjoy!

visited Hells Canyon from Enterprise Oregon. We drove all the way to hatpoint. This is a gravel road, wich is a bit steep for the first 5 or 6 miles, but it gets better afterwards. Don't let the fact that this is not a paved road skip you from going here. It's a great ride and even though we didn't have a clear view from the top (it was very cloudy), the drive was still absolutely worth it. There is another vista point or view point further down the park, which gives a nice view too, although not directly into the canyon.

It took me 60 years to finally visit Hells Canyon. Don't wait as long as I did. This is an amazing place to visit. The view point near Imnaha is a must see.

This area is awesome for hiking and many other outdoor activities. We went deep into the canyon a couple of times. Hat Point is a long drive but a super view of the Snake River and a 7 mile hike down to the river! Wallowa Lake area has some awesome hiking also. This whole area is a hikers dream and we definitely will return.

Next year when I return to Oregon and the Wallowas, I am going to hike along the Imnaha River Trail. But just viewing Hells Canyon from an above-the-canyon viewpoint was amazing. It is Grand Canyon-esque but with its own unique personality. I will not set foot in Idaho, just across the river, as I am strongly opposed to the wolf killing lunatics in Idaho who are unjustly persecuting and cruelly slaughtering America's vital and beautiful wolves there.

They have done some fixing on the road but the first 5 miles off the main highway were quite potholed. It was a very beautiful drive overall but the view of the canyon and across into Idaho was not anything like the Grand Canyon. It is beautiful in its own way but shouldn't be thought of as a "spectacular" view. There are no services within miles in either direction (like 40 miles) so if you want it, take it with you. Watch out for wildlife dawn and dusk. Enjoy the drive there. Make the full loop if you have the time.

We travel thru this area at least once a year on our motorcycles and are always amazed by the beauty of this entire area and the lack of people, not that we are complaining. We just went to the Grand Canyon and left almost immediately due to so many tourists and crowds. To us, this area is almost as spectacular and made tons better by the lack of people. The roads can be a little rough, but slow down, take your time, stop a lot along the way, and enjoy.

Hells Canyon has two ways to best enjoy the beauty: either by watercraft through the canyon, or by driving the high ridge and gazing out over the vista point, which is located off the Wallawa Mountain Loop Road by three miles. There are trails, but they are best reached from the water. One cat see birds and other wildlife from any curve in the road.Beware that the mountain road is popular with bikers. There is also some repaving done, so proceed with caution.

The USFS is upgrading the main road - North Pine section. The road - FS 39 - is rough in places. The Hells Canyon Overlook is definitely worth the stop. When driving the North Pine Section beware of livestock on the road. Restrooms we stopped at were smelly and not recently serviced - bring your own toilet paper.

Once you cross from Oregon onto the Idaho side of the drive along the Snake, the real fun begins... Miles of breathtaking views & photo opps. We live up here in far NE Oregon & are used to incredible sights, but this was our first visit to the canyon & we'll be going back.

I have always wanted to go to the Hells Canyon Overlook in NE Oregon. We departed from Baker City, visited the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, and then continued East. Beautiful scenery. As I said, be prepared for a winding road, with many ascents and descents. Not for those that get car-sick easy! This route would likely be closed in the winter, so best to check road conditions in the Fall through Spring. The Overlook is impressive. A very deep canyon, but you will not see the Snake River from this overlook (a little disappointing). We continued on to Joseph and were happy to get back to relatively straight roads!

Hells Canyon and the drive up to it are so amazing. The drive we took was out of Joesph Oregon. It took us through amazing open farm land with the back drop of the Wallowa's. the total drive was about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes to the look out. Once you get to the top there is a large parking area. Large enough for several trucks and trailers. There was only one other family there. It felt like we were on top of the world. The view went of into Idaho and Oregon forever. I'm so glad we saw this. So beautiful!!!

We took the Beamers Jet boat trip 100 miles up the Snake River from Clarkston. A great way to view the canyon. Highly recommended.

Whitewater rafting, hiking, fishing, or hunting. Make your dream come to life by visiting this incredible gorge.