Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
via the southern end of the Wallowa Mountain Loop, near Oxbow. Just past the dam the
road ends at the
Hells Canyon Visitors Center
( 541-785-3395; 8am-4pm May-Sep)
and boat launch. Miles beyond here, the Snake drops 1300ft in elevation through wild
scenery and equally wild rapids, and the area can only be accessed via jet boat or raft.
There's also a gravel road that goes up the Snake River on the Oregon side, but it stops
short of the dam. It accesses Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and some trail-
heads and rustic campgrounds. There's no bridge linking this gravel road to Rte 454 over
the Snake.
area's main tour outfitter, running a variety of jet-boat trips from May through Septem-
ber. Reservations are required.
There are several good
hiking trails
on the way to the dam; Allison Creek (on the
Idaho side), about 4.5 miles round-trip, is an especially good one. Longer trails are pos-
sible; check with the Hells Canyon Visitors Center, from where there's also the mile-long
Stud Creek hike downriver.
Sleeping
Enterprise, Joseph and Halfway are all day trips away from Hells Canyon, but you can
also stay overnight in the area. There's a free primitive campsite near Hat Point. Imnaha
has food and water (and some basic RV sites), but for gas you'll have to go to Joseph.
Ollokot
(campsites $8)
and
Blackhorse
(campsites $8)
are two campgrounds at the
southern end of the canyon, right on USFS Rd 39, midway between Halfway and Joseph.
The
BLM campsites
are rustic sites on the Oregon side of the Snake River.
Hells Canyon Park
CAMPGROUND$
(
800-422-3143; tent/RV sites $10/16)
Pretty campsite on the Idaho side of Snake River.
Copperfield Park
CAMPGROUND$
(
800-422-3143; tent/RV sites $10/16;
)
Pleasant campsite at Oxbow.
Hells Canyon B&B
B&B$
(
541-785-3373;
www.hcbb.us
; 49922 Homestead Rd; d $80;
)
Simple but great-value
B&B in the Oxbow area.
Imnaha River Inn
INN$$$
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