There are three ways to get up into this roadless wilderness: on foot, by rubber raft, or by commercial jet boat. Eager to explore this 100-mile stretch of wild river in a single day, we opted for the fastest mode of travel (though also the noisiest and most expensive): a commercial guided jet boat tour. There are several companies that offer such trips. We happened to use Beamer's, which was just fine. Other operators start further upstream and go down; the ones listed below begin in Clarkston.
Our boat, the "Jill and I," also serves as a sometime mail boat to deliver letters and parcels upriver to the few scattered inhabitants who live in the canyon.
Beamer's Hells Canyon Tours
Snake Dancer Excursions
Snake River Adventures