| Hells Canyon Wilderness view can be deceiving. It just does not seem that deep. However; the gorge reaches a depth of 8,000 feet, making this the deepest canyon in North America. Hells Canyon National Recreation Area contains 652,488 acres straddling the border of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho. Split into two distinct halves by the Snake River, approximately one-third of the area has been designated Wilderness. The prime activity here is white-water rafting. Hells Canyon itself and the Oregon side of the Wilderness are managed by Oregon's Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. On the Oregon side, the higher elevations are thinly treed with occasional dense stands of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. The lower elevations are dominated by grasslands. Clear creeks dissect the isolated Oregon side. A trail from Dug Bar follows the Oregon side of the Snake River and gives access to several other trails. More than 1,500 archaeological sites have been identified here, and federal law requires that visitors leave them undisturbed. |
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