Backpacked this trail April 18-22, 2018. Seven Hikers. Hells Canyon Adventures picked us up at the Hells Canyon NRA Visitors center launch point and dropped us a few hundred yards below Granite Creek. River flows were at 42,000 cfs and the low point of the trail was flooded below Granite Creek. It is about 6.5 river miles from the visitors center to Granite Creek. The outfitter (Hells Canyon Adventures, Captain Dusty) was on-time, accommodating, and pleasant and a great boat captain!

We backpacked down river to Kirkwood Ranch, camping at McGaffee Cabin (Bernard Creek), Sheep Creek Ranch, and Kirkwood Ranch. The trail was in good condition and there were no water crossings of any significance. Drinking water supply (treatment required) was plentiful from side streams (as listed in the trail description). Few others were on the trail until we neared Kirkwood ranch, where it was quite busy on the Saturday we arrived. About 30 other tents were set up in the camping area so we camped upstream from the ranch about 400 yards.

Camping on the shaded grounds at the Sheep Creek Ranch was no longer an option (we camped up-stream about 200 hundred yards) as the ranch is leased by the Forest Service to an outfitter.

Wildlife sightings included goats, elk, and deer. While there are bear, cougar, wolves, and Bighorn Sheep in the area, none were sighted this trip. Wildflowers were abundant but this writer is not good at identification (Death Camas was sighted). Poison Ivy is abundant but on one had any problems. Ticks were numerous and only a few snakes were seen on the trail (one hike found a rattlesnake den but it was off trail).