Why do they call it Hells Canyon?

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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The canyon has a total length of 125 miles (201 km), along 40 miles (64 km) of which it is more than 1 mile (1.6 km) deep. 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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With its soaring granite cliffs and the south fork of the Kings River meandering through the canyon floor, this spectacular gorge is the second deepest canyon in the United States (only Hells Canyon in Oregon, Idaho, Washington at 7993ft.

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The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway stretches for 22 miles and it gives you a stunning view of the canyon's rugged landscape. The feeling you'll get as you drive along the canyon's jagged walls is simply indescribable. Check out Idaho's most dramatic scenic drive and add this to your bucket list ASAP.

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The entire route is on a paved highway. Plan ahead – you'll find stretches of more than eighty miles without gas and with few services. A segment of the Byway between Joseph and Halfway closes with snow in winter, but allows access to winter recreation areas, offering a whole other kind of Northeast Oregon adventure.

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Top 10 Largest Canyons in the US
  • Grand Canyon, Arizona.
  • Palo Duro Canyon, Texas.
  • Antelope Canyon, Arizona.
  • Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.
  • Royal Gorge Canyon, Colorado.
  • Hells Canyon, Oregon & Idaho.
  • Kings Canyon, California.
  • Death Valley, California.


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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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Advisory: The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is usually closed by snow from late October through late May or early June and is not passable with motor vehicles.

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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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WILD RIVER RESERVATIONS – from Hells Canyon Dam to Upper Pittsburg Landing – are required for the issuance of a trip permit, seven days a week during the primary season. There are three private permit launches each day.

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The Black Canyon through the national park is particularly steep, deep, and narrow. The Black Canyon is incredibly deep and sheer, with plunging cliffs, soaring buttresses and a thundering river.

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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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The Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon in America and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. It is up to 1,000 metres deep and five kilometres wide...

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