The end of the Snake leg
The last port, at Clarkston & Hells Canyon
Clarkston is where the one-way sailing ends, across the river from Lewiston, Idaho. The day here is a jet boat into a 125-mile canyon, not a walk through town.
- 125 milesHells Canyon, which Lindblad bills as North America's deepest river gorge
- Day 7Lindblad's Hells Canyon jet boat, on the 8-day eastbound sailing
- 2 hoursfrom Clarkston to Spokane, the other airport Lindblad names
- 2 nonstopsDelta Connection flights from Lewiston to Salt Lake City and Seattle
- From the shipJet boat and coach
- Time neededOne day, then disembarkation
- Best doneJet boat by day, storyteller at night
- Skip ifA jet-boat day doesn't appeal
Plan the call
How long do you have ashore?
- Snake and Clearwater confluence30 min
The two rivers meet at Clarkston, opposite Lewiston.
- Lewis-Clark Valley tasting room60 min
Basalt Cellars is named; hours aren't published.
- Nez Perce heritage90 min
Spalding Visitor Center is 12 miles east of Lewiston.
About 3 h for the day, by our planning estimate
- Snake and Clearwater confluence30 min
Lindblad opens its Clarkston day here.
- Hells Canyon by jet boat240 min
125 miles of gorge; look for bighorn sheep. Trip length isn't published, so the time here is our planning figure.
- Nez Perce heritage sites60 min
Seen from the canyon trip, with Lindblad.
- Lewis-Clark Valley wine60 min
A tasting room in Clarkston or Lewiston.
- Nez Perce storyteller60 min
Aboard in the evening, before the final dinner.
About 7 h 30 for the day, by our planning estimate
Times are our planning estimates for a typical call, not the line’s schedule. Your daily programme sets the all-aboard.
The call
The Clarkston day
On Lindblad's 8-day eastbound sailing, Day 7 opens with the Snake and Clearwater confluence. Then comes a jet boat into Hells Canyon, with Nez Perce heritage sites and bighorn sheep to look for.
A Nez Perce storyteller joins the ship in the evening, followed by a final tasting and a special dinner.
Day 8 is disembarkation after breakfast, with departure after 12:00 pm local time. A transfer takes you to the airport.
ACL's Portland-Clarkston cruise and its Grand cruise both list Clarkston and Hells Canyon, with jet-boat tours. Neither names the jet-boat operator or the length of the trip.
From the ship: The day runs by jet boat and coach, not on foot. The berth isn't published; the airport is a few minutes from town, and most of the valley is 10 to 15 minutes from it.
In town
Canyon, confluence and heritage
A jet boat into Hells Canyon
Lindblad's Day 7 centrepiece, and one ACL also lists. The canyon is 125 miles long.
SourceThe Snake and Clearwater confluence
Clarkston sits where the two rivers meet, opposite Lewiston, Idaho. Lindblad's Day 7 opens with it.
SourceNez Perce heritage
Lindblad looks for Nez Perce heritage sites on the canyon trip and brings a storyteller aboard in the evening. Separately, Nez Perce National Historical Park's Spalding Visitor Center is 12 miles east of Lewiston, at 39063 US Highway 95 — check current hours before you go.
SourceWildlife in the canyon
Lindblad lists bighorn sheep among what to watch for on the canyon trip.
SourceClarkston & Hells Canyon on the Columbia and Snake. Open its card on the river map for lines, season and nearby calls.
Beyond the town
Before Clarkston, and the valley
Palouse Falls
On Lindblad's Day 6, guests explore the Palouse River by Zodiac and kayak, then visit Palouse Falls, a drop of about 200 feet.
SourceWalla Walla and the Whitman Mission
Lindblad's Day 5 offers an art-scene tour or the Whitman Mission National Historic Site, with lunch at a local winery. ACL lists Burbank/Walla Walla and the Walla Walla Valley vineyards.
SourcePendleton's underground city
Listed on ACL's Grand cruise; the page doesn't say which stop it's reached from.
SourceEat and drink
Valley wine
Walla Walla Valley wines and a winery lunch
Lindblad's Walla Walla day includes lunch at a local winery, and the onboard programme offers nightly tastings of wines chosen by Ray Isle of Food & Wine.
SourceLewis-Clark Valley wineries
Clarkston sits in the Lewis-Clark Valley AVA, which one travel piece puts at about 16 vineyards. Tasting rooms in Clarkston and Lewiston include Basalt Cellars.
SourceRestaurants and breweries downtown
The valley has restaurants and breweries, though we don't name any here. Ask us, or the ship's staff, for a table the night before or after.
SourceThe lines
Who calls at Clarkston & Hells Canyon
From the lines’ published itineraries, October 2026.
When
Lindblad runs this leg in March, April, September and October; ACL sells April to November, and its own guidance names late April to June and September to October as good times. Neither line states Hells Canyon season or jet-boat timing.
Why trust this page
The Seabound standard
Sources, read at the source
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 22, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
Paid placements
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
Advisors, not a booking engine
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
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Quick answers
Clarkston & Hells Canyon on a river cruise: questions
Where do I fly out of Clarkston?
Lindblad names Lewiston, Idaho, or Spokane, about two hours away. Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport has daily nonstop Delta Connection flights to Salt Lake City and Seattle.
Is Clarkston in Washington or Idaho?
Washington. Lewiston is across the river in Idaho. Together they form the Lewis-Clark Valley and share the airport, which is in Lewiston.
Is Hells Canyon the deepest gorge in North America?
That's how Lindblad bills it, and the canyon runs 125 miles. Treat 'deepest' as the line's description, not a measured ranking.
How do you see Hells Canyon on the cruise?
By jet boat, on Lindblad, with Nez Perce heritage sites and wildlife. ACL lists Hells Canyon jet-boat tours as well. The operator and trip length aren't stated.
How we checked this page 7 sources
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 22, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.