Campfires are permitted in other areas of the recreation area year-round unless otherwise posted. Only water from developed systems at recreation sites is maintained safe to drink. Open water sources are easily contaminated by human or animal waste. Water from springs, lakes, ponds and streams should not be consumed without proper treatment. Plan to carry extra water.
Rattlesnakes are common in the canyon.
They are most active from May through September, usually seeking cover in the heat of the day and becoming more active in the cooler temperatures of morning and late afternoon. The Forest Service recommends that persons entering the area carry snake bite kits. Beware of this shiny three-leaved plant and its white berries. Services Towns closest to the recreation area which offer services are Imnaha, Joseph, Halfway and Enterprise on the Oregon side, and Riggins, Cambridge, Council, Whitebird, New Meadows, Grangeville and Lewiston on the Idaho side, and Clarkston and Asotin in Washington. The latter is serviced by a road which is regularly inaccessible due to snow until the middle of June.