Is Hells Canyon a desert?

Hells Canyon Wilderness receives approximately 8 inches of rainfall each year and average annual temperatures range from 35 degrees Fahrenheit in winter to 100 degrees in summer. Most of this land is covered by Sonoran Desert vegetation: saguaro, paloverde, barrel cactus, ocotillo, and desert grasses.



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The geologic history of the rocks of Hells Canyon begins 300 million years ago with an arc of volcanoes that emerged from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Over million of years, the volcanoes subsided and limestone built up on the underwater platforms. The basins between them were filled with sedimentary rock.

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The name Hells Canyon is believed to come from the difficult and rugged journey through the terrain by boat. The first known reference to it as Hells Canyon is in the 1895 edition of H.W. McCurdy's “Marine History of the Pacific Northwest.”

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It reaches a maximum depth of 7,900 feet (2,400 metres), making it the deepest gorge on the North American continent.

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From the top of the Seven Devils Mountains to the deepest part of the Snake River, Hells Canyon is nearly 8,000 feet deep. That's almost 2,000 feet deeper than the famous Grand Canyon in Arizona.

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On average, the Snake River is 16 feet and 4 inches deep. Only three roads point to the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon-Washington border; there are no highways that span the 10-mile-wide Hells Canyon.

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HELLS CANYON WEATHER: Usually about 10° warmer than surrounding towns, Hells Canyon is known to be hot throughout the summer which is ideal for whitewater rafting trips. The Snake River's temperature usually stays between 60°-70°, perfect for refreshing swims.

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Deepest Gorge in North America Carved by the great Snake River, Hells Canyon 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.

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Kings Canyon National Park features terrain similar to Yosemite Valley and is home to the deepest canyon in the United States with a depth of more than a mile and a half! Though technically two distinct parks, Sequoia and Kings Canyon are administered as one park (and only one entrance fee is required.)

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The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon in Tibet, a region of southwestern China, was formed over millions of years by the Yarlung Zangbo River. This canyon is the deepest in the world—at some points extending more than 5,300 meters (17,490 feet) from top to bottom.

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Wildlife is abundant in Hells Canyon Wilderness. Black bear, cougar, elk, deer, mountain goat, chukar, and bighorn sheep are common.

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Deepest Gorge in North America 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. Where is Hells Canyon?

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Most of the rapids Hells Canyon are classified as a Class III and Class IV, which means you're in for a wild ride and you're definitely getting wet. The two most intense rapids are at the beginning of the trip. Both are Class IVs.

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Recreation Opportunities Access at some of the lower elevations along the Snake River are year-long. However at the higher elevations many trails remain inaccessible due to snow until late in the summer and become snowed covered in late October.

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