Hells Canyon National Recreation Area – Grangeville, Lewiston, McCall, Council and Cambridge Area – Idaho

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area – Grangeville, Lewiston, McCall, Council and Cambridge Area – Idaho

This park was established as a National recreation area in 1975 including 215,000 acres of wilderness for you to enjoy.  There are three rivers which are designated Wild and Scenic in this fabulously beautiful area.  They are the Snake, Imnaha and Rapid.  With nearly 900 miles of trails available you can enjoy hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking or sightseeing in this truly natural beauty.  There are also camping and picnicking sites available; in fact, there are 36 sites with varying levels of development on both the Oregon side and the Idaho side.

Hells Canyon is North America’s deepest river gorge.  Carved by the great Snake River it 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.

The Canyon is hugging the borders of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho.  Here you can engage in world-class whitewater boating that will equal any that you have ever experienced.  See the abundant wildlife, artifacts from prehistoric tribes and rustic remains of early miners and settlers.  Imagine what it would have been like to have encountered this area as the pioneers did so many years ago! 

The Idaho Trailheads include the Black Lake Trailhead where the campground is situated at the very southern end of the Seven Devils Mountains.  Black lake has four unites.  There is no potable water source but the lake is easily reached from the camping area so be sure to treat your water.  To reach Black Lake, take Hwy #95 to Council, ID. From Council, take Forest Road #002 to Forest Road #105 (near the town of Bear, no services). From Forest Road #105, travel to Forest Road #112 (just past Bear Guard Station). Forest Road #112 will continue on to Black Lake. The last part of this drive is very rough and a high clearance vehicle is recommended. The area is usually open and free from the latter part of July through the first part of October.

Snake River Trailhead – Snake River Trailhead -  The Snake River Trailhead, serving the Snake River National Recreation Trail (Trail #102), is located adjacent to Upper Pittsburg Landing in Idaho. The trailhead is accessed by Forest Road 493, also known as the Deer Creek Road, and leaves Highway 95 just south of the town of Whitebird, Idaho. It is 17 miles from Hwy 95 to the Pittsburg Landing Area. This is a well maintained single lane gravel road with turnouts, that crosses the divide at an elevation of over 4300 feet between the Salmon and Snake Rivers. ‘There are steep grades on both sides of this divide, so visitors pulling travel trailers or driving RV’s should use extreme caution. Grades are up to 16% so be sure your brakes and transmission are in good condition before beginning the drive, and use low gears. Follow the signs to Upper Pittsburg Landing and the Snake River Trailhead.

Windy Saddle Trailhead -  Windy Saddle is the primary access to the high country trails in the Seven Devils Mountains of the Hells Canyon Wilderness. To access this trailhead, take Forest Road #517 which leaves Hwy #95 just south of the town of Riggins, Idaho. It is 17 miles from Hwy #95 to Windy Saddle. Facilities consist of two small campgrounds and a pack and saddle stock staging facility. Seven Devils Campground has 10 units and Windy Saddle has nine, four of which are designed for campers with pack and saddle stock. There is no potable water available in any of these areas. The area is usually open and free of snow from the first part of July through the first part of October. RVs or vehicles pulling camp trailers are not recommended.

There is an active move to restore the historic buildings in the area and to maintain the beauty for all to enjoy.  You area asked to leave archaeological and historic sites undisturbed and encourage others to do the same. 

Even before there were records kept of the area the Nez Perce Indians lived here.  They and the Shoshone-Bannock, Northern Paiute and Caysue Indians were drawn by the relatively mild winters, lush forage and the wide array of wildlife.  You can see some pictographs and petro glyphs on the walls of the canyon telling some of the story of their lives.

In the 1860′s gold was discovered in river bars near either end of what today is the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Placer mining activities soon spread into Hells Canyon itself. Though never highly successful, placer miners left considerable evidence of their activities: hundreds of low-lying rock piles are still visible along the Snake River corridor.

By the late 1800′s and early 1900′s, mining efforts shifted away from placer mining. More complex hard-rock operations, sometimes characterized by mazes of tunnels, large buildings to house machinery, and supporting facilities such as stores post offices and saloons, took its place especially in the Jackley Mountain area (in Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains) and the Eureka Bar area near the mouth of Imnaha River, in Oregon.

When you visit the area you will want to stop at a visitor’s center and pick up more information on the Canyon.  The history, beauty and experiences make this a fabulous place to visit.

Related posts:

1. Adventurist Air Hot Air Ballooning – Lewiston, Idaho
2. Bear River Heritage Area – Logan, Idaho
3. Sawtooth Wilderness area – Garden Valley, Idaho
4. Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge – Bonners Ferry, Idaho
5. Nez Perce National Historic Park – Spalding, Idaho