Constant water flow over volcanic basalt carved Hellgate Canyon into a 2,100-foot-long channel about 100 feet deep. Before bridges, settlers and miners crossed the river by ferry or by cable car suspended above the canyon. The first bridge, built in 1913 for $14,628, was washed away in the 1927 flood, and a second bridge built in 1928 on raised piers survived the 1955 flood but was considered outdated in 1963; the present bridge was built in 1967. In 1921, The California Oregon Power Company bought 158 acres around the canyon for a future dam and powerhouse, but in 1968 Congress protected Hellgate Canyon and 84 river miles through the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and Pacific Power and Light dedicated the land to the people of Oregon in 1971. Recreation began here in the early 1900's, with boat tours and fishing drawing tourists, and by the 1930's well-known visitors including Clark Gable, Ginger Rogers, Zane Grey, and Herbert Hoover were associated with fishing on the Rogue. The canyon also served as a backdrop for productions including Rooster Cogburn, Gunsmoke, Spirit of the Eagle, and The River Wild. The original Hellgate viewpoint was built in the late 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps and was reconstructed in 2009.
