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Lookout · Hells Canyon

Hells Canyon Overlook

VerifiedOpenStreetMap + U.S. Forest Service
Looking east from Hells Canyon Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Hells Canyon Overlook sits at mile 193 of 196 along the Hells Canyon byway, at an elevation of 5,533 feet. The land drops 1,124 feet within 600 meters of the rim, and the view faces due east, directly toward sunrise. From here visitors can see McGraw Creek and look across the canyon toward the Seven Devil Mountains in Idaho, though the Snake River itself is not visible from this site. Named peaks in view include Black Point, Horse Mountain, Kinney Point, Sheep Rock, Pepperbox Hill, Emmett Mountain, Smith Mountain, White Mountain, and Pyramind Benchmark, ranging from about 8 to 13.4 miles away and from 6,304 to 8,480 feet in elevation. The site is fully accessible, with interpretive signs, paved parking, vault toilets, and picnic areas. Spring and summer wildflowers grow along the paved pathways and near the parking areas. Joseph lies 24.9 miles northwest, Enterprise 30.0 miles northwest, and McCall 38.9 miles east-southeast. The previous stop along the byway is Royal Purple Overlook.

Position
Mile ~193 of 196
Access
On the byway
Elevation
5,533 ft
View
East · 90°
Light
Best at sunrise
Relief
1,124 ft drop
In view
9 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
View from Hells Canyon Overlook in the Wallowa Whitman National Forest
U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · source
Hells Canyon in September 2010
Huber Ch. · CC BY 3.0 · source
View of Hills on Idaho Side of Hell's Canyon Overlook
Forest Service · Public domain · source
View of Hills North of Hell's Canyon Overlook
U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · source
View of Hills on Idaho Side of Hell's Canyon Overlook
U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · source
Hells Canyon and the Seven Devils, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest
U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region · Public domain · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Black Point6,304 fteast-northeast · 8.0 mi
  • Horse Mountain6,897 fteast · 8.1 mi
  • Kinney Point7,132 fteast-northeast · 8.9 mi
  • Sheep Rock6,858 fteast-northeast · 9.3 mi
  • Pepperbox Hill7,779 fteast · 10.8 mi
  • Emmett Mountain8,328 fteast-northeast · 11.8 mi
  • Smith Mountain8,029 fteast · 12.5 mi
  • White Mountain8,480 fteast-northeast · 12.6 mi
  • Pyramind Benchmark8,421 fteast-northeast · 13.4 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunrise — 0° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox06:5119:0018:21
June solstice05:0120:3919:54
September equinox06:3518:4718:08
December solstice07:2416:0915:20

Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

Mile 193 of 196 along Hells Canyon.

  • Joseph24.9 mi northwest
  • Enterprise30.0 mi northwest
  • McCall38.9 mi east-southeast
← Before it: Royal Purple Overlook
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From the source · Verbatim

Hells Canyon Overlook · U.S. Forest Service

The Hells Canyon Overlook is a very popular site for visitors who want to see Hells Canyon from above. The site is fully accessible with interpretive signs, paved parking areas, vault toilets and picnic areas. From the rim visitors can view McGraw Creek and look over the canyon at the Seven Devil Mountains in Idaho. (The Snake River is not visible from this site). A variety of Spring and Summer wildflowers are found along the paved pathways and near the parking areas.

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

Read it at U.S. Forest Service →
Common questions

How high is Hells Canyon Overlook?

Hells Canyon Overlook sits at about 5,533 feet (1,686 m).

What can you see from Hells Canyon Overlook?

From Hells Canyon Overlook: Black Point (ENE, 8.0 mi); Horse Mountain (E, 8.1 mi); Kinney Point (ENE, 8.9 mi); Sheep Rock (ENE, 9.3 mi).

Is Hells Canyon Overlook better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise. The land falls away from Hells Canyon Overlook toward the sunrise, so at sunset the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Hells Canyon Overlook?

Joseph, 25 miles NW of Hells Canyon Overlook.

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