Hells Canyon Scenic Byway is a designated
All-American Road
A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by C ...
in the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
. It is located at the northeast corner of Oregon and comprises
Oregon Route 82
Oregon Route 82 (OR 82) is a state highway in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It travels from U.S. Route 30 (US 30) at La Grande to an intersection with Oregon Routes 350 and 351 in Joseph. It is kn ...
,
Oregon Route 350, Forest Roads 39 and 3365, and most of
Oregon Route 86
Oregon Route 86 is an Oregon state highway running from Interstate 84 at Baker City to the Idaho state line at Oxbow (near the former site of Copperfield). OR 86 comprises most of the Baker-Copperfield Highway No. 12 (see Oregon highways and r ...
. From the west, the byway begins at the intersection of Oregon Route 82 and
Interstate 84 near
La Grande and ends near
Baker City
Baker City is a city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States. It was named after Edward D. Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever killed in military combat. The population was 10,099 at the time of the 2020 census.
History
Pla ...
, at the junction of Interstate 84 and Oregon Route 86. It is 218.4 miles (351.5 km) long.
[
]
Route description
Along its route, Hells Canyon Scenic Byway hugs the Wallowa River
The Wallowa River is a tributary of the Grande Ronde River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It drains a valley on the Columbia Plateau in the northeast corner of the state north of Wallowa Mountains.
The Wallowa ...
, runs through the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, and goes near Wallowa Lake
Wallowa Lake is a ribbon lake south of Joseph, Oregon, United States, at an elevation of . Impounded by high moraines, it was formed by a series of Pleistocene glaciers. On the south end of the lake is a small community made up of vacation homes ...
, Salt Creek Summit, Hells Canyon Overlook and the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area.
History
The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway was designated a National Forest Scenic Byway on April 19, 1992. It was later made an Oregon State Scenic Byway on February 19, 1997. The All-American Road designation was applied to the roadway on June 15, 2000.
See also
*Hells Canyon
Hells Canyon is a canyon in the Western United States, located along the border of eastern Oregon, a small section of eastern Washington and western Idaho. It is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area which is also located in p ...
*Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
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 es ...
* Hells Canyon Wilderness
References
{{reflist
External links
Hells Canyon Scenic Byway map
All-American Roads
Scenic highways in Oregon
National Forest Scenic Byways
Transportation in Wallowa County, Oregon
Transportation in Baker County, Oregon
Transportation in Union County, Oregon
Tourist attractions in Wallowa County, Oregon
Tourist attractions in Baker County, Oregon
Tourist attractions in Union County, Oregon
Wallowa–Whitman National Forest
Eagle Cap Wilderness
1992 establishments in Oregon