Hwy #1, 45 minutes north of Hope, 2-2/3 hours east of Vancouver
Hell's Gate itself is located at the narrowest point of the Fraser River, being only 110 feet wide (33m). At high water level, over 200 million gallons of water per minute flow through the gorge, moving atover 30 km/hour. The intimidating whitewater rapids and gorge reminded 19th Century explorer Simon Fraser of the Gates of Hell. Today, Fraser Canyon day-trippers can get a close-up view with the Hell's Gate Airtram to the observation deck and suspension bridge in the gorge.
The railroad builders caused a slide, during 1914 railway construction, that throttled the river and almost destroyed one of the most magnificent sockeye salmon runs in the world. Catches of salmon fell from 3 million in 1913 to only 1.8 million in 1931. In 1944, Canada and the US formed the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries commission and began building Hell's Gate's vast fish ways.
Hell's Gate Airtram
Highway 1, in the Fraser Canyon (Exit 170 at Hope)
(604) 867-9277
25 passenger airtrams descent 500 feet to view the international fishways from the suspension bridge & observation deck. There are also a restaurant, gift shop, fisheries display, fudge factory, floral gardens, Hell's Gate Airtram is open daily April 1 through October 30
Community Map
Click on "hybrid" to see Fraser River on map.
Use mouse to drag/move map. Click on "+" or "-" to zoom in or out. "Satellite" shows photo, "Hybrid" combines map & photo.
