Getting Here

Many seasonal National Forest Service roads access Hells Canyon from Imnaha east of Joseph and the Wallowa Mountain Loop. Four-wheel drive can be necessary on certain roads, but National Forest Road 39 is paved the entire way; check with rangers at the Wallowa Mountains Ranger Office in Joseph for road conditions and trip-planning advice. Even in perfect conditions, these forest roads can be slow going; allow two to three hours, for instance, to drive the 50-mile Wallowa Mountain Loop. Most float trips originate from the Hells Canyon Creek site below the Hells Canyon Dam.