RECREATION
The recreation activities available in the Hells Canyon area of Baker County in Eastern Oregon are limitless— there's something for everyone! Whether you enjoy boating, fishing, camping, hiking, horseback riding, rafting, snowmobiling, or other outdoor activities, you can find them right here. Here are a few attractions and activities you must experience while visiting Oregon's Wilder Side. . .
Hells Canyon Adventures
Your Hells Canyon Adventure will begin long before you reach the jet boats, as the rugged and remote Hells Canyon area greets you with jagged rock walls, rushing water, and wildlife.
Your senses will awaken as you travel through the natural landscape which remains mostly undeveloped, undisturbed, and uncrowded, where the air is still fresh. Allow extra time to stop at the viewpoints for wildlife sightings and to see the geological formations.
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Hells Canyon Adventures is the only licensed outfitter that offers jet boat tours or fishing charters starting from the south entrance of the canyon (Hells Canyon Dam), where the canyon is over a mile and half deep. It's easy to get there from Idaho or Oregon: Highway 71 from Cambridge, Idaho; Highway 86 from Baker City, Oregon; or USFS Road #39 from the Wallowa Lake/Joseph, Oregon areas. All three roads lead to the famed Devils Tail, the last 22 miles of your drive from Oxbow to the Hells Canyon Dam.
Experience the end of the road located on the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway in spring, summer, fall, or winter with Hells Canyon Adventures, the whitewater specialists. For current tour schedule, questions or reservations, please call 208-257-4564 or 800-422-3568.
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Tributary Whitewater
Tributary Whitewater is based in Halfway. As they say, Hells Canyon is their backyard! A river trip is the perfect family vacation: no phones, no television, just plenty of fun activities suitable for ages 6 to 96. A float trip through Hells Canyon has something for everyone, and everything is included from start to finish. From the class four rapids to world-class fishing and bird hunting, you will find that Tributary Whitewater offers the premier river experience for everyone. Visit their website for more information on the trips they offer, then call to schedule your trip of a lifetime!
Cornucopia Lodge
If you can dream it, you can do it! Hike or snowshoe a short distance from the lodge and you are in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon's largest designated wilderness area, which features over 540 miles of trails, 53 high mountain lakes, scenic wild rivers like the Minam and Imnaha, granite crags, and steep-walled valleys formed by ancient glaciers. Take a short drive and you're in Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North Amerca, carved by the Snake River on the border between Idaho and Oregon. Whatever your outdoor adventure, the Cornucopia Lodge is ideally located to be your base camp.
The Lodge is high in the mountains, nestled just below the old Cornucopia mining district. There are breathtaking views from every vantage point. No matter what time of year, you can enjoy all that nature has to offer--snowmobile, snowshoe, or ski in the wintertime and explore on horseback or hike during spring, summer, and fall. Visit our website for more information and to book your reservations.
Hiking in Eastern Oregon
The Hells Canyon area of Eastern Oregon abounds in hiking trails—almost 900 miles worth!
Ever experience an over 8000 foot elevation change on foot? You can do that in Hells Canyon! Hike to the top of the highest peak in the region— He Devil, at 9,393 feet—then drop down through alpine meadows and lakes, following a drainage down to the banks of the Snake River.
For detailed information about trails and trailhead locations, visit the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest website.