We Love Our National Parks, but This Idaho Park Is Just as Fascinating

I love visiting national parks across the country. I grew up just a short drive from several of Utah's national parks and I’ve explored every corner of both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks multiple times. I also have many national parks at the top of my bucket list. And while each park has something to love, you simply cannot discount Idaho's state parks. Yes, I have favorites like Bear Lake State Park, Ponderosa State Park, and Bruneau Dunes State Park, but Hells Gate State Park is, in my opinion, underrated, beautiful, and just as bucket-list-worthy as any national or state park in Idaho. Let me explain.

Hells Gate State Park is located south of Lewiston, near the Idaho and Washington state line. It certainly isn’t one of the largest state parks in Idaho — only 960 acres — but it is one full of history, remarkable landscapes, and plenty of recreational opportunities.

This area dates back thousands of years. It is a remnant of the great ice age floods, believed to have occurred nearly 15,000 years ago. And within this park, you’ll also find basaltic columns that are estimated to be around 14 million years old. A Nez Perce Village once called this area home many years ago, and you’ll even find depressions in the rocks where the tribe’s pit houses once resided.

Fun fact: If you’d like to learn more about the Nez Perce people and this area they call home, just a short drive from Hells Gate State Park is the Nez Perce National Historic Park, which I strongly recommend you visit.

Because Hells Gate State Park is underappreciated, it doesn’t draw in quite the crowd like other parks around the Gem State. However, it is a destination where you’ll certainly not be bored. If you love spending time on the water, take a boat ride up the Snake River, where you’ll find yourself in the deepest river gorge in North America. This river sits 7,900 feet below the canyon’s rim at its deepest point.

Hells Gate State Park is also a beautiful place to try your luck at fishing, particularly steelhead fishing. Or, if you’d prefer, bring a picnic lunch and relax along the banks of the river. This is one of my favorite activities if I only have a short time to spend in an Idaho park.

If you are up for a little more of a challenge, bring your mountain bike or a sturdy pair of shoes and hit the trails. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to stop into the Lewis and Clark Discovery Center located within this park, which offers a variety of indoor and outdoor displays to teach you more about the Lewis and Clark Expedition throughout this area of the country.

And to ensure you have plenty of time to explore this state park and the surrounding area (make sure you visit the Palouse Region during your multi-day visit — it's my favorite area in Idaho!), stay in one of the park’s campsites. Here, you’ll find 29 standard campsites, 51 serviced sites, three ADA-accessible campsites, and eight cabins. Reservations are strongly encouraged, particularly if you desire a cabin or a campsite near the water.

But no matter how long you stay, Hells Gate State Park will awe, inspire, and educate. Yes, we love our national parks, but with state parks like Hells Gate, there are so many more incredible places to visit and explore.

For more information on Hells Gate State Park and others in the Gem State, visit the Idaho Parks and Recreation website. Follow the Hells Gate State Park Facebook page for current news and updates as well.