Hell's Gate Airtram and the Fraser Canyon

The Fraser River Is Squeezed Here To About 35 M Wide In A Narrow Rock Gorge, Where As Much Water Passes In A Second As Plunges Over Niagara. An Airtram Opened In 1971 Carries Visitors About 150 M Above The River. A Fishway Nearby Helps Salmon Pass. Seasonal, With The Main Season From Spring To Autumn. · Boston Bar, British Columbia

Hell's Gate is a narrow rock gorge on the Fraser River in the Fraser Canyon, on Highway 1 north of Hope, near Boston Bar. The river is squeezed to about 35 m wide and the water rushes through at huge volume, which is the point of the visit. A gondola, the Hell's Gate Airtram, opened in 1971 and carries visitors about 150 m above the water to the lower station, where there is a restaurant, a fudge shop, a suspension bridge and a fishway exhibit explaining how salmon get past. It suits families, road trippers and anyone curious about the Fraser. Be aware that the airtram is seasonal, mainly spring to autumn, so confirm dates. The drive through the canyon is narrow and tunnelled, and the place is small and touristy. Allow one to two hours, longer if you add a meal or a salmon-season stop. Prices are modest but not free. Summer heat in the gorge is real, and the bridge sways, so it is not for everyone with a fear of heights.

Gondola crossing above the Fraser River gorge at Hell's Gate on Highway 1 north of Hope in the Fraser Canyon, with a restaurant, a fudge shop and suspension bridge at the lower station, Boston Bar, British Columbia, Canada

The Hell's Gate Airtram is seasonal, with the main season roughly from spring to early autumn, usually from April or May until October. Daily hours are generally mid-morning to late afternoon, with the last ride before closing, but start and end dates and times change each year, so confirm with the operator. High wind, lightning, maintenance or low visitor numbers can pause the airtram. Outside the season, the gondola is shut and the place is mostly closed, although Highway 1 stays open unless a winter closure or rockfall blocks it. Check DriveBC for road conditions before you set out, because closures in the canyon can last hours.

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