Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located on the borders of the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho. The recreation area, which is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, was established by U.S. Congress in 1975 to protect the historic and archaeological values of the Hells Canyon area and the area of the Snake River between  Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon-Washington border.