Establishment of the Hells Canyon All American Road:

The Hells Canyon All American Road travels through one of the most scenic parts of the HCNRA with scenic overlooks into Hells Canyon. The scenic byway connects with a series of roads inside and outside the Forest boundary connecting some of the most scenic elements of the Northeast Oregon region.

Visit the Hells Canyon All American Road on the National Scenic Byway website.

The Hells Canyon All American Road extends from La Grande to Enterprise and Joseph; Joseph to Wallowa Lake; Joseph to Oxbow and Halfway; and Halfway to Richland and Baker City. Its 225-mile route travels through exceptional scenery from river’s edge to mountain passes and valley floors. The National Forest section of the route, Forest Road #39, between the communities of Halfway and Joseph, traverses the most scenic part of the HCNRA.

The Hells Canyon All American Road was proposed for designation by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Baker County Visitor and Convention Bureau, La Grande-Union County Visitor and Convention Bureau, and Oregon Department of Transportation. In May of 2000, the Federal Highways Administration established the Hells Canyon All American Road for its “intrinsic qualities” of exceptional scenery, widely varied terrain, recreational opportunities, and historical significance.

As premier byway in the US Byway system and one of three in Oregon, the Hells Canyon All American Road is one of 15 in the nation.

The byway was first designated as a National Forest Service Scenic Byway in 1992, and then, as a State Scenic Byway in 1996. (Some minor modifications to the route have been made since it’s original designation in 1992).

Partners and Cooperators

Federal Highways Administration, Oregon Department of Transportation, Scenic Byways Committee, local Chambers of Commerce and Visitor and Convention Bureaus, Eastern Oregon Visitors Association, Wallowa Resources, Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Bureau of Land Management, Nez Perce Tribe, Nez Perce and Payette National Forests, and others.