Hells Canyon

Hells Canyon
Snake River flowing through the canyon
Hells Canyon is located in the United States
Hells Canyon
Hells Canyon
Location in the United States
Hells Canyon is located in Idaho
Hells Canyon
Hells Canyon
Location in Idaho
Geography
CountryUnited States
States
County
Coordinates45°22′17″N 116°38′18″W / 45.37139°N 116.63833°W / 45.37139; -116.63833[1]
RiverSnake

Hells Canyon is a ten-mile-wide (16 km) canyon in the Western United States, located along the border of eastern Oregon, western Idaho, and a small section of eastern Washington. It is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area which is also located in part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.[2] It is North America's deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet (2,436 m),[3] running deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona.[4]

The canyon was carved by the waters of the Snake River, which flows more than one mile (1.6 km) below the canyon's west rim on the Oregon side and 7,400 feet (2,300 m) below the peaks of Idaho's Seven Devils Mountains to the east. This area includes 214,000 acres (87,000 ha) of wilderness.[5] Most of the area is inaccessible by road.[6]

  1. ^ "Hells Canyon". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. June 21, 1979. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  2. ^ Hells Canyon. World Book. 2018.
  3. ^ "Hells Canyon National Recreation Area: Establishment of HCNRA". U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
  4. ^ "Hells Canyon, National Geographic". National Geographic Society. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020.
  5. ^ Lanza, Michael (2007). Hells Canyon Wilderness. Pocket Outdoor Media.
  6. ^ "Hells Canyon National Recreation Area: Hells Canyon Overview". U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010.