The Deepest Canyons in the United States

Gorges ranked by depth from rim to river.

Hells Canyon on the Idaho–Oregon border is often called the deepest river gorge in North America, deeper even than the Grand Canyon by some measures. Ranked here by documented depth.

#	Place	Max depth (ft)
1	Hells Canyon The Snake River gorge on the Oregon-Idaho line, deeper than Grand Canyon	7,992 ft 2,436 m
2	The Grand Canyon A mile-deep gorge carved by the Colorado River	6,093 ft 1,857 m
3	Columbia River Gorge The great river’s cut through the Cascade Range	3,937 ft 1,200 m
4	Waimea Canyon Kauaʻi’s red-walled gorge, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific	2,986 ft 910 m
5	Canyon de Chelly Navajo homeland canyon and national monument in northeastern Arizona	984 ft 300 m
6	Palo Duro Canyon The Texas Panhandle canyon carved into the edge of the Llano Estacado	787 ft 240 m

Place

Max depth (ft)

Hells Canyon
The Snake River gorge on the Oregon-Idaho line, deeper than Grand Canyon

7,992 ft
2,436 m

The Grand Canyon
A mile-deep gorge carved by the Colorado River

6,093 ft
1,857 m

Columbia River Gorge
The great river’s cut through the Cascade Range

3,937 ft
1,200 m

Waimea Canyon
Kauaʻi’s red-walled gorge, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific

2,986 ft
910 m

Canyon de Chelly
Navajo homeland canyon and national monument in northeastern Arizona

984 ft
300 m

Palo Duro Canyon
The Texas Panhandle canyon carved into the edge of the Llano Estacado

787 ft
240 m

Figures are drawn from standard government and reference sources and shown in both imperial and metric units. See each entry for full details and citations. Browse all guides or open the explore map.