Which canyon along the Snake River is the deepest gorge in North America?

Hells Canyon along the Snake River is the deepest gorge in North America. It follows the boundary between eastern Oregon and western Idaho, with a small section reaching into Washington.

The gorge reaches a maximum depth of about 7,993 feet, measured from the Idaho mountain peaks to the Snake River below. That makes it deeper than Arizona's Grand Canyon, although comparisons can vary depending on whether depth is measured from the highest nearby rim or the immediate canyon rim.

The Snake River carved Hells Canyon through a landscape shaped by ancient volcanic activity, uplift, lava flows, and erosion. The canyon's geological story began hundreds of millions of years ago, while the modern gorge was carved much more recently—probably beginning within the last several million years.

Hells Canyon is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Much of the rugged canyon is difficult to reach by road, but visitors explore it by jet boat, raft, kayak, foot, and fishing boat. The Grand Canyon is the common answer people confuse with Hells Canyon because it is more famous, but Hells Canyon is deeper.