Intermountain Region

To Heavens Gate Overlook and Trailhead: From Riggins, take State Highway 95 south one mile to the Seven Devils Road, Forest Road #517. This is a steep one-lane gravel road with turnouts, and is rough for the last few miles. Although adequate for most passenger cars, it is not recommended for RVs or travel trailers. It is generally open from early July to mid October. It is 17 miles to Windy Saddle Trailhead and generally takes one hour.

Road # 517 will fork near Windy Saddle Campground and trailhead. Take the fork to the right, past the Windy Saddle Campground and horse facilities. Continue for another 1.5 miles to Heavens Gate Observation Site parking lot. The trail begins on the east side of the parking lot.

Restroom facilities are only available at the parking lot, not at the lookout. Volunteers staff the lookout during the summer season since Heaven's Gate Overlook is one of the most popular overlooks of Hell's Canyon. The trail is short, but at a high elevation, so take your time and enjoy the amazing views.

Imagine millions year old squashed, island arc volcanoes folded and land locked and you will be picturing the Seven Devils Scenic Area. Named after seven peaks; He Devil, She Devil, Tower of Babal, The Ogre, The Goblin, Mt Belial, and Devils Throne, this scenic area has a complex and interesting geologic history.

100 million years ago, volcanic islands and their fringing reefs collided into Idaho creating tightly folded and steeply tilting layers of sedimentary and igneous rocks that make up the Seven Devils complex. Very pale gray to white limestone makes up the Martin Bridge limestone, which represents the remnants of those fringing reefs.

Basin and Range faulting helped to raise the Seven Devils Mountains high along with extensive erosion of the canyons on either side. Because the crust is floating on the mantle, when sediments are removed by erosion, a load is lifted and the crust rises. Beneath the crust, hot mantle material slowly flows in to replace where the weight of the removed load existed. The Snake and Salmon rivers are the culprits of intense erosion, the delving of deep canyons, and added uplift.