Hike of the Week: Hells Gate

Hikers head off to the Gates of Hell Canyon

Hells Gate

A hot spot for wildlife and spring wildflowers






by Craig Romano
photo by Craig Romano
produced by Michael Fagin

March 31, 2006

Quick Facts
Location: Lewiston, Idaho; Snake River Canyon
Land Agency: Idaho State Parks
Roundtrip: Up to 5 miles
Elevation gain: 200-400 feet
Access: From Washington State follow US 12 east to Clarkston. Cross Snake River into Lewiston, Idaho. Proceed south on Snake River Avenue for four miles to Hells Gate State Park.
Notes: Dogs must be leashed. Idaho State Park Pass ($4 day/$25 annual) required.


Forget the Grand Canyon. Forget the slot canyons of Zion National Park too. There’s no need to travel to the American Southwest if its big clefts in the ground you seek to explore. We have them right here in the Northwest. Lots of them. And at the risk of sounding crude, we have one hell of a canyon-Hells Canyon actually-right where Idaho, Oregon and Washington meet.
In fact, Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America. Deeper than the Grand Canyon. Hells Canyon averages a depth of 5,500-feet. And from the frothy waters of the Snake River at the bottom of the cavernous canyon to He Devil Peak, the snow-covered jagged 9,393-foot high point along the east rim, almost 8,000 feet of elevation is gained. That’s the equivalent of 5 ½ Empire State Buildings standing one on top of another. Or in Northwest terms, that’s 13 Seattle Space Needles piled up!
Hell’s Canyon is vast too-over 10 miles wide and 75 miles long. You can image that an area this large and with such an extreme elevation range must contain an incredible array of habitats and inhabitants. It does! From lingering snowfields and sparkling alpine lakes-to dense stands of old growth conifers-to golden grassy slopes-to a stark, blistering, hot basaltic canyon floor that inspired this chasm’s name. And of course there’s the river that slices through hell-the mighty Snake, one of the Northwest’s longest waterways. And here in Hell’s Canyon, you’ll find the longest free-flowing section of the Snake-67 wild miles of unrestrained rapids.
Wildlife here is profuse in numbers and species. This is one of the Northwest’s largest stomping grounds for elk. Mountain goat, bighorn sheep, cougar, bear, coyote, badger, and pine marten are all common. Reptiles are abundant too-including rubber boas and western rattlesnakes. Birdwatchers flock here to see vireos, warblers, eagles, buntings, goshawks, woodpeckers, owls, and redpoles. It seems Hell on earth is a Garden of Eden.
In 1975, Congress realized the importance of Hells Canyon by establishing it as a National Recreation Area (NRA). Utilizing lands from three national forests in Oregon and Idaho, the NRA contains over 650,000 acres. A hiker’s heaven, over 900 miles of trail traverse the NRA. Unfortunately, many of those trails are buried in snow right now. But-here’s a Hells Canyon Sampler for you. The canyon’s northern portal is graced by a very accessible state park, Hells Gate.
This is a great time to head to this park, often very busy in the summer months. Hikers and horseback riders are scarce in the spring. The first round of wildflowers is bursting through the ground right now. The sun usually shines and snakes aren’t much of a concern yet. A series of loop trails traverse the basalt ledges and grassy hills of this 960 acre park. Hells Gate is graced with an inviting campground with cabins making for a great little weekend getaway. So what are you waiting for? Go to Hell! Hells Gate that is!