Hells Canyon - wikipedia Hells Canyon For the canyon in South Dakota, see Hells Canyon ( South Dakota ). Hells Canyon Snake River flowing through the canyon Country United States States Oregon, Idaho County Wallowa County, Oregon, Adams County, Idaho, Idaho County, Idaho Source Snake River - location near river mile ( RM ) 254, Wallowa and Adams counties - elevation 1,688 ft ( 515 m ) - coordinates 45 ° 09 ′ 37 '' N 116 ° 43 ′ 29 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.16028 ° N 116.72472 ° W ﻿ / 45.16028 ; - 116.72472 Mouth Snake River - location near RM 238, Wallowa and Idaho counties - elevation 1,384 ft ( 422 m ) - coordinates 45 ° 22 ′ 17 '' N 116 ° 38 ′ 18 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.37139 ° N 116.63833 ° W ﻿ / 45.37139 ; - 116.63833 Coordinates : 45 ° 22 ′ 17 '' N 116 ° 38 ′ 18 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.37139 ° N 116.63833 ° W ﻿ / 45.37139 ; - 116.63833 Location of the mouth of Hells Canyon in Oregon and Idaho Hells Canyon is a 10 - mile ( 16 km ) wide canyon located along the border of eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and western Idaho in the United States. It is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and is North America 's deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet ( 2,436 m ). The canyon was carved by the waters of the Snake River, which flows more than 1 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 range to the east. Most of the area is inaccessible by road. Contents 1 Geology 2 History 3 Recreation 4 Access 5 Points of interest 6 See also 7 References 8 Works cited 9 Further reading 10 External links Geology The geologic history of the rocks of Hells Canyon began 300 million years ago with an arc of volcanoes that emerged from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Over millions of years, the volcanoes subsided and limestone built up on the underwater platforms. The basins between them were filled with sedimentary rock. Between 130 and 17 million years ago, the ocean plate carrying the volcanoes collided with and became part of the North American continent. A period of volcanic activity followed, and much of the area was covered with floods of basalt lava, which smoothed the topography into a high plateau. The Snake River began carving Hells Canyon out of the plateau about 6 million years ago. Significant canyon - shaping events occurred as recently as 15,000 years ago during a massive outburst flood from Glacial Lake Bonneville in Utah. History Snake River winding through Hells Canyon The earliest known settlers in Hells Canyon were the Nez Percé tribe. Others tribes visiting the area were the Shoshone - Bannock, northern Paiute and Cayuse Indians. The mild winters, and ample plant and wildlife attracted human habitation. Pictographs and petroglyphs on the walls of the canyon are a record of the Indian settlements. In 1806, three members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition entered the Hells Canyon region along the Salmon River. They turned back without seeing the deep parts of the canyon. It was not until 1811 that the Wilson Price Hunt expedition explored Hells Canyon while seeking a shortcut to the Columbia River. Hunger and cold forced them to turn back, as did many explorers who were defeated by the canyon 's inaccessibility. There remains no evidence in the canyon of their attempts ; their expedition journals are the only documentation. Early explorers sometimes called this area Box Canyon or Snake River Canyon. The early miners were next to follow. In the 1860s gold was discovered in river bars near present - day Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and miners soon penetrated Hells Canyon. Gold mining was not profitable here. Evidence of their endeavors remains visible along the corridor of the Snake River. Later efforts concentrated on hard - rock mining, requiring complex facilities. Evidence of these developments is visible today, especially near the mouth of the Imnaha River. In the 1880s there was a short - lived homesteading boom, but the weather was unsuited to farming and ranching, and most settlers soon gave up. However, some ranchers still operate within the boundaries of the National Recreation Area. In May 1887, perhaps 34 Chinese gold miners were ambushed and killed in the area, in an event known as the Hells Canyon Massacre. After completion of large hydropower dams on the Columbia River in the 1930s through the 1950s, several entities sought approval from the Federal Power Commission to build dams on the Snake River, including a high dam in Hells Canyon. In 1955, the commission issued a license to the Idaho Power Company to build a three - dam complex in the canyon : The first of the three, Brownlee Dam, at river mile ( RM ) 285 or river kilometer ( RK ) 459, was finished in 1958. Oxbow Dam, 12 miles ( 19 km ) downstream, was finished in 1961. Hells Canyon Dam Hells Canyon Dam, 26 miles ( 42 km ) below Oxbow, was completed in 1967. The three dams have a combined generating capacity of 1,167 megawatts ( MW ) of electricity. The complex, which provides about 70 percent of Idaho 's hydroelectricity, blocks migration of salmon and other anadromous fish upstream of Hells Canyon Dam. Recreation There are many recreational activities available within the canyon. Activities in Hells Canyon include fishing, jet boat tours, hunting, hiking, camping and whitewater sports ( mainly rafting and kayaking ). Much of these activities rely on the mighty Snake River, which is the main factor in the creation of Hells Canyon. The Snake River is home to numerous fish species, an abundance of class I - IV rapids ( some of largest in the Pacific Northwest ), diverse wildlife and miles of trail systems. These key components make Hells Canyon an outdoor recreation mecca that brings in tourists from around the world. Hells canyon offers tours year round, while most of the whitewater activities peak in summer months. To participate in these recreational activities one can utilize commercial charters or private trips. Access No roads cross Hells Canyon and only three roads reach the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon -- Washington state boundary further downstream. From Oxbow Bridge near Copperfield, Oregon, Hells Canyon Road follows the Idaho side of the river 22 miles ( 35 km ) downstream to the Hells Canyon Dam. The road crosses the dam and continues another mile to the Hells Canyon Visitor Center on the Oregon side. Further north on the Idaho side, Deer Creek Road connects White Bird, Idaho, to the river at Pittsburg Landing. Near the northern end of the canyon, Forest Road 4260 ( Lower Imnaha Road ), the last part of which is too rough for most cars, reaches the river at Dug Bar, 21 miles ( 34 km ) from Imnaha, Oregon. On the canyon rims, viewpoints accessible by road include Hat Point and Buckhorn in Oregon and Heavens Gate in Idaho. Points of interest ( Full screen ) Selected locations in Hells Canyon Points of interest Boundaries Dams Dug Bar Pittsburg Landing Lower End Hells Canyon Dam 5 Upper End 6 Oxbow Dam 7 Brownlee Dam 8 Hat Point Lookout 9 Buckhorn Lookout 10 Kinney Point No. Feature Coordinates River mile Elevation Description Dug Bar 45 ° 48 ′ 26 '' N 116 ° 41 ′ 22 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.80722 ° N 116.68944 ° W ﻿ / 45.80722 ; - 116.68944 ﻿ ( Dug Bar ) 196 mi 315 km 1,017 ft 310 m Lower Imnaha Road on the Oregon side reaches the Snake at this river bar. Pittsburg Landing 45 ° 37 ′ 57 '' N 116 ° 28 ′ 31 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.63250 ° N 116.47528 ° W ﻿ / 45.63250 ; - 116.47528 ﻿ ( Lower Pittsburg Landing ) 215 mi 346 km 1,145 ft 349 m Deer Creek Road reaches the river and a United States Forest Service campground here, on the Idaho side. Lower end 45 ° 22 ′ 17 '' N 116 ° 38 ′ 18 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.37139 ° N 116.63833 ° W ﻿ / 45.37139 ; - 116.63833 ﻿ ( Hells Canyon ( mouth ) ) 238 mi 383 km 1,384 ft 422 m Official canyon ends here, according to the Geographic Names Information System. Hells Canyon Dam 45 ° 14 ′ 30 '' N 116 ° 42 ′ 04 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.24167 ° N 116.70111 ° W ﻿ / 45.24167 ; - 116.70111 ﻿ ( Hells Canyon Dam ) 247 mi 398 km 1,686 ft 514 m Furthest downstream in the three - dam Hells Canyon Complex. The only dam in the official canyon. 5 Upper end 45 ° 09 ′ 37 '' N 116 ° 43 ′ 29 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.16028 ° N 116.72472 ° W ﻿ / 45.16028 ; - 116.72472 ﻿ ( Hells Canyon ( source ) ) 254 mi 409 km 1,688 ft 515 m Official canyon begins here, according to the Geographic Names Information System. 6 Oxbow Dam 44 ° 57 ′ 55 '' N 116 ° 50 ′ 44 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 44.96528 ° N 116.84556 ° W ﻿ / 44.96528 ; - 116.84556 ﻿ ( Oxbow Dam ) 273 mi 439 km 1,804 ft 550 m Middle dam of the three - dam Hells Canyon Complex. Upstream of the official canyon. 7 Brownlee Dam 44 ° 50 ′ 10 '' N 116 ° 54 ′ 04 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 44.83611 ° N 116.90111 ° W ﻿ / 44.83611 ; - 116.90111 ﻿ ( Brownlee Dam ) 285 mi 459 km 2,083 ft 635 m Furthest upstream in the three - dam Hells Canyon Complex ; not in the official canyon. 8 Hat Point Lookout 45 ° 26 ′ 18 '' N 116 ° 39 ′ 21 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.43833 ° N 116.65583 ° W ﻿ / 45.43833 ; - 116.65583 ﻿ ( Hat Point Lookout ) -- 5,784 ft 1,763 m Viewpoint on the Oregon side of the canyon rim. 9 Buckhorn Lookout 45 ° 45 ′ 15 '' N 116 ° 49 ′ 22 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.75417 ° N 116.82278 ° W ﻿ / 45.75417 ; - 116.82278 ﻿ ( Buckhorn Lookout ) -- 5,328 ft 1,624 m Viewpoint on the Oregon side of the canyon rim. 10 Kinney Point 45 ° 09 ′ 59 '' N 116 ° 39 ′ 51 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 45.16639 ° N 116.66417 ° W ﻿ / 45.16639 ; - 116.66417 ﻿ ( Kinney Point ) -- 7,083 ft 2,159 m Viewpoint on the Idaho side of the canyon rim. See also Hells Canyon Wilderness ( Oregon and Idaho ) References Jump up ^ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates. ^ Jump up to : `` Hells Canyon ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. June 21, 1979. Retrieved December 26, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Hells Canyon National Recreation Area : Hells Canyon Overview ''. U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Hells Canyon National Recreation Area : Establishment of HCNRA ''. U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Hells Canyon National Recreation Area : Geology of Hells Canyon ''. U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2010. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) ^ Jump up to : `` Hells Canyon National Recreation Area : The Human Story ''. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved December 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Lesson Fifteen : Industrialization, Class, and Race : Chinese and the Anti-Chinese Movement in the Late 19th - Century Northwest, '' History of Washington State & the Pacific Northwest, Center for Study of the Pacific Northwest, University of Washington. Retrieved 12 March 2007. Jump up ^ Nokes, R. Gregory. 2009. Massacred for Gold. Corvallis, Oregon : Oregon State University Press, pp. 179 - 181. ^ Jump up to : `` Hells Canyon Dam ''. Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Retrieved December 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Environmental Impact Statements ( EISs ) ''. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. June 28, 2010. Retrieved December 26, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Environmental Impact Statements ( EISs ) : Executive Summary '' ( PDF ). Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. pp. xxxv and xxxviii. Retrieved December 26, 2010. Jump up ^ Recreation : Wallowa - Whitman National Forest. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from http://www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/wallowa-whitman/recreation Jump up ^ `` Idaho 's Scenic Byways : Hells Canyon Scenic Byway ''. Idaho 's Scenic Byways website. State of Idaho. Retrieved December 26, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Hells Canyon National Recreation Area : Pittsburg Landing Campground ''. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved December 26, 2010. ^ Jump up to : Sullivan, pp. 268 -- 76 Jump up ^ United States Geological Survey ( USGS ). `` United States Geological Survey Topographic Map ''. TopoQuest. Retrieved December 31, 2010. The maps include river - mile markers along the Snake. By convention, the markers are arranged in ascending order, starting with zero at the Snake 's confluence with the Columbia River. Jump up ^ Geographic Names Information System ( GNIS ) except canyon source elevation, which derives from a Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates. Jump up ^ `` Dug Bar ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved December 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Lower Pittsburg Landing ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. June 21, 1979. Retrieved December 28, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Hells Canyon ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. June 21, 1979. Retrieved December 27, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Hells Canyon Dam ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. May 22, 1986. Retrieved December 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Oxbow Dam ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. May 22, 1986. Retrieved December 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Brownlee Dam ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved December 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Hat Point Lookout ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. June 21, 1979. Retrieved December 28, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Buckhorn Lookout ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved December 31, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Kinney Point ''. Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. June 21, 1979. Retrieved January 3, 2011. Jump up ^ Orr, p. 47 Works cited Orr, Elizabeth L., and Orr, William N. ( 1999 ). Geology of Oregon, fifth edition. Dubuque, Iowa : Kendall / Hunt Publishing Company. ISBN 0 - 7872 - 6608 - 6. Sullivan, William L. ( 2002 ). Exploring Oregon 's Wild Areas, third edition. Seattle : The Mountaineers Press. ISBN 0 - 89886 - 793 - 2. Further reading Brooks, Karl Boyd ( 2009 ). Public Power, Private Dams : The Hells Canyon High Dam Controversy. Seattle : University of Washington Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 295 - 98912 - 9. External links Map all coordinates using : OpenStreetMap Google Maps Download coordinates as : KML GPX Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hells Canyon. Nasa Earth Observatory view of the canyon Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hells_Canyon&oldid=838529183 '' Categories : Landforms of Adams County, Idaho Canyons and gorges of Oregon Canyons and gorges of Idaho Landforms of Idaho County, Idaho Snake River Landforms of Wallowa County, Oregon Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Coordinates on Wikidata Pages using geobox with a locator map Geobox usage tracking for other type Lists of coordinates Geographic coordinate lists Articles with Geo Pages with graphs Pages with maps Talk Contents About Wikipedia Cebuano Deutsch Français Gaeilge Română 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 27 April 2018, at 16 : 02. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: what is the deepest canyon in north america
Answer: Hells Canyon