Hell's Gate is a 35 metre (115 ft) narrowing of British Columbia's Fraser River, located immediately downstream of Boston Bar in the southern Fraser Canyon. The towering rock walls of the Fraser River plunge toward each other forcing the waters through a passage only 35 metres (115 ft) wide. It is also the name of the rural locality at the same location.
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The first recorded history of Hell's Gate is found in the explorer Simon Fraser's journal, 1808. There he describes this narrow passage as an "awesome gorge" He also says that "surely this is the gate of hell". On June 26, 1808 Fraser passed along the cliffs on a series of bridges and ladders built by local Nlaka'pamux people.
Construction of the Canadian Northern Railway in 1914 blasted thousands of tons of rock into the river below the railroad grade which further constricted the river and damaged sockeye salmon runs. Thirty years of scientific planning and several years' construction have not completely repaired the damage. Hell's Gate's fishways, built by a joint Canadian-American Commission, were completed in 1946.
The route of the present Trans-Canada Highway through the Fraser Canyon parallels, roughly, the fur brigade trail of the Hudson's Bay Company, which was built over the shoulder of the Cascade Mountains high above the east bank of Hell's Gate, as the route north from Kequaloose (opposite Spuzzum) was completely impassable, even for mules. Beginning with the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858 Canyon a usable mule trail was built through the Canyon towards the 'Eye of Morello', a route which the new colonial government invested in heavily to build the Cariboo Wagon Road. The Cariboo Road was completed in 1864 but destroyed by CPR construction in the 1880s. A road through the canyon was not opened again until 1922 as the Cariboo Highway.
The Canadian Pacific Railway runs through the canyon. Construction through the canyon took four years and was completed in 1884. Across the river is the Canadian National Railway. Originally called the Canadian Northern Railway, this stretch was completed in 1914. Rockslides during construction narrowed the channel just above Hell's Gate, resulting in the need for the present fishways. The Hells Gate Tunnel of the Trans-Canada Highway is immediately north of the parking lot for the air tram.
Today, Hell's Gate is a popular tourist attraction, with access to the canyon and river crossing provided by an aerial tramway since 1971. Its promotional literature claims it is the only airtram in the world which descends to its destination; as the initial point of departure (and parking facilities, road access, etc.) is located above the attraction.
Only local indigenous people are legally allowed to fish the river; however, fishing is prohibited one mile (1.6 km) north and south of Hell's Gate.
Hell's Gate Airtram starts at the parking lot of the Trans Canada Highway and descends to its lower terminal on the opposite side of Fraser River next to the pedestrian suspension bridge, where there is an observation deck, a restaurant, a gift shop and other tourist attractions. It was built in 1970 by the Swiss manufacturer Habegger Engineering Works and opened on 21 July 1971. Its two cabins take 25 persons each plus the cabin attendant. Each cabin travels up and down along its own track rope at a maximum speed of 5 m/s (18 km/h) over an inclined length of 341 m. The horizontal distance between the terminals is 303 m and their difference in altitude is 157 m. The track ropes have a diameter of 40 mm, the haul rope connecting the two cabins via the drive bull wheel in the upper terminal has a diameter of 19 mm and its counter rope 15 mm. The track ropes are anchored in the upper terminal and are tensioned by two concrete blocks of 42 tons each suspended inside the lower terminal where the blocks have a leeway of 7.9 m to move up and down. The haul rope and its counter rope are tensioned by a counterweight of 3.5 tons, also in the lower terminal. The total carrying capacity of the aerial tramway is 530 passengers per hour (one way).
The tourist area can also be accessed at no cost via a trail head located just south of the upper terminal. However, this is a difficult descent/ascent with rock slides easily triggered, and not less an hour is recommended to be given for the hike down and up combined.