The Hat Point Trailhead is located on the edge of the Hells Canyon Wilderness area near the Hat Point Day Use area and overlook.
The site has an upper day use and lower long term parking areas with stock facilities. The main trail down into the canyon and the Wild and Scenic Snake River is the Hat Point Trail #1752. Hat Point, the high point on the Oregon Rim of Hells Canyon (USA).
When making the 24-mile gravel road drive from Imnaha to Hat Point, stop along the way at Granny View, which looks west into the Imnaha River Canyon. You can also camp up there on the rim of Hells Canyon at Saddle Creek, a few miles short of Hat Point, but not any longer with your van snout pointed down to the river.
The first seven miles of road from Imnaha is very steep, 16 percent, but that's about the extent of the difficult driving. The gravel surface is fine for passenger vehicles, but large RVs and trailers are not recommended (though locals tow their horse trailers up the road all the time). The road is one lane with turnouts. With the light traffic, vehicles find a way to get by.
From Enterprise, Oregon travel south 6 miles on Highway 82 towards Joseph; In Joseph turn left on Highway 350 and go 30 miles to Imnaha, Oregon; In Imnaha travel about 21 miles on Forest Road 2640 (Hat Point Road) to Forest Road 315; Forest Road 315 is about 0.5 miles past the Memaloose Guard Station and Airstrip; Turn right on Forest Road 315 and go 1.5 miles to the trailhead entrance on the right side of the road.
The site has a small trailhead for day use parking near the canyon edge, and a larger parking area below for long term use and stock trailers.
Forest Road 2640 is very steep, and narrow. Low clearance vehicles, RVs and vehicles pulling trailers are advised to use caution when traveling the lower sections of this road. The road can also be slippery when wet or frozen and is not recommended for trailers in the late fall and winter.
