Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area protects a long stretch of the Snake River corridor along the Oregon-Idaho border within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Created by Congress in 1975 and dedicated in 1976, it preserves the canyon’s historic and archaeological resources as well as a vast rugged landscape that includes the Hells Canyon Wilderness and nearly 900 miles of trails. Most of the area lies in eastern Wallowa County, with smaller sections in western Idaho. Its archaeological significance is especially evident in the Hells Canyon Archeological District, where hundreds of sites, buildings, rock art panels, and pictograph locations such as Buffalo Eddy and Pittsburg Landing survive alongside important recreation access.

Oregon · United States