| Hells Canyon National Recreation Area | |
|---|---|
 Hells Canyon in 2002 | |
   | |
| Location | Oregon & Idaho, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Grangeville, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 45°36′N 116°30′W / 45.6°N 116.5°W[1] |
| Area | 652,488 acres (2,641 km2) |
| Established | December 31, 1975 [2][3][4] |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Hells Canyon NRA |
Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area on the borders of the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, the recreation area was established by Congress and signed by President Gerald Ford in late 1975 to protect the historic and archaeological values of the Hells Canyon area and the area of the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon–Washington border.[2][4][5]
Roughly 215,000 acres (335 sq mi; 870 km2) of the recreation area are designated the Hells Canyon Wilderness. There are nearly 900 miles (1,400 km) of hiking trails in the recreation area. The largest portion of the area lies in eastern Wallowa County, Oregon. Smaller portions lie in southwestern Idaho County, Idaho, northwestern Adams County, Idaho, and northeastern Baker County, Oregon.
It was formally dedicated in 1976, in June in Idaho,[6][7] and in late July in Oregon.[8][9]
- ^ "Hells Canyon National Recreation Area". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ a b "Ford signs NRA bill". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. January 2, 1976. p. 16A.
- ^ "Ford signs canyon bill". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 2, 1976. p. 1.
- ^ a b Husk, Lee Lewis (July 16, 2018). "Hells Canyon Fifty-Year Anniversary". 1859: Oregon's magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
- ^ "Establishment of HCNRA". U.S. Forest Service. Archived from the original on 2010-12-03. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
- ^ "Dedication ends Hells Canyon tiff". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. June 21, 1976. p. 1.
- ^ Tate, Cassandra (June 21, 1976). "Recreation area dedicated". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1A.
- ^ "Second dedication of Hells Canyon set". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). July 30, 1976. p. 16A.
- ^ O'Connell, Mary J. (August 1, 1976). "It's complete! Hells Canyon NRA dedicated". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1A.