We booked the Granite Creek jet boat tour over Memorial Weekend. The tour is 2 hours long, departed at 2:00 pm from the bottom of the Hell Canyon Dam. The reservation process was very easy. Detailed information was sent to us via mail, with the exact directions to the launch area. Follow their direction and allow plenty of time. The drive from Baker City is long on canyon roads, not freeway driving.
Our group was small, consisted of 4 people, so we took off in the smaller boat. It had plenty of power for the rapids we went through. We went up to the dam then made our way through the canyon. Our captain explained along the way, always mindful of the motor noise. He was very knowledgeable, humorous, and very skillful at navigating through the rapids. Due to the smaller group, everything was very lay back and easy going. We never felt rushed or "just another tour another day down the canyon"
We tied off near the trail that led us to some Indian pitcographs. Wear sturdy shoes for good footing, as part of the trail is rocky with loose gravel/dirt. There were a group of rafters that negotiated the nearby rapids that day, we took the time to watch them get challenged by the rapids. We also saw a bald eagle soaring through the air, that was a treat. No bear or deer sighting on this trip.
The weather was quite sunny, the beauty of this area is indescribable. This is a "must-do". We ended up returning after 2,5 hours. We felt this is the right amount of time, anything longer than this may feel like a long long boat ride. There were no food on this excursion, it wasn't needed, but if you wanted, packing a snack would be good. They did offer cold water at the end of the hike.
Cost at this time was $80 pp, and you do sign your life away.