The lowest high point to visit can be found just south of Lewiston in Hells Canyon. Hells Canyon is North America’s deepest river gorge, encompassing a vast and remote region with dramatic changes in elevation, climate and terrain. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1975 to preserve the free flowing character of the Snake River and to protect archaeological, recreational and ecological treasures. It covers 652,488 acres, including some of the most rugged and spectacular wilderness area on earth. Carved by the great Snake River, Hells Canyon plunges more than a mile below Oregon’s west rim, and 8,000 feet below snowcapped “He Devil Peak” of Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains. There are no roads across Hells Canyon’s 10-mile wide expanse, and only three roads that lead to the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon-Washington boundary. One of the most popular ways to see the canyon is to take a trip along the river in a jet-boat which can be chartered from a local outfitter.