Displayed here are photos of Hells Canyon National Recreation Area in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, including Oregon’s Imnaha River Canyon and Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains and lower Salmon River. Snowy mountains, plunging river canyons, and stupendous precipices make this truly “a land standing on end” as a former advertising campaign proclaimed.

Uppermost in this land of extremes is the Arctic-Alpine Zone of the highest mountains where nothing can survive except life adapted to the planet’s northernmost latitudes, while nearby in the depths of the canyons can be found prickly pear cactus and other denizens of the Upper Sonoran Zone of Arizona.

The up and down landscape recommended a semi-nomadic lifestyle to early human residents, and they summered high and wintered low. Seasonal migration seemed sensible and natural to the Nez Perce Indians and today continues to guide the movements of ranchers who drive their livestock up and down as the seasons change. Wildlife has figured this out as well, though incredibly mountain goats can be seen toughing it out in the highest places even in the winter.

Best time for photos Hells Canyon? Probably spring and fall. Summer is the worst unless you are rafting the river (and are comfortably wet) or are visiting the canyon’s high rims and mountains where it is cooler.