The Hells Canyon Scenic Byway Recreation & Stewardship Project was a response to growing demand and need to enhance outdoor recreation access, visitor experiences, and natural resource stewardship across one of Eastern Oregon’s most iconic landscapes. Tourism Impact Services was contracted by Travel Oregon to engage with the Eastern Oregon Visitor Association and surrounding destinations to lead asset mapping, stewardship evaluation, and responsible recreation planning for the region.
Mapping a Stewardship Future for the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway
Community-Led Asset Mapping, Visitor Experience Enhancement, and Responsible Recreation Strategies
The public lands surrounding the 400-mile Hells Canyon Scenic Byway have experienced exponential growth in visitation over the past decade. With increasing demand and limited visitor infrastructure, the region faced mounting pressure on sensitive landscapes and missed opportunities for economic development in emerging gateway communities. The Eastern Oregon Visitor Association sought a community-driven approach to identify priority outdoor assets, enhance visitor experiences, and build a stewardship framework to protect the region’s natural and cultural resources.
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Our Approach:
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Facilitated stakeholder workshops to align tourism development with conservation and community goals.
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Led a community-driven asset mapping process to inventory 143 outdoor recreation assets across the Hells Canyon region.
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Prioritized 46 high-value assets for on-the-ground evaluation of stewardship messaging, accessibility features, and visitor readiness.
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Developed wayshowing strategies to advance stewardship practices, accessibility conditions, and visitor infrastructure needs across priority sites.
Impact:
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Created a regional outdoor recreation map highlighting stewardship-focused visitor experiences.
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Strengthened collaboration among tourism partners, public land managers, and local communities.
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Provided actionable recommendations to improve accessibility, infrastructure, stewardship communication, and responsible visitation.
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Established a replicable model for sustainable outdoor recreation planning in rural gateway regions.