Clarkston sits at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers on the Washington-Idaho border, directly across from its twin city Lewiston, Idaho. Named for William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the town is the gateway to Hells Canyon — the deepest river gorge in North America, carved by the Snake River into basalt walls over a mile deep.
The main reason to come here is the canyon. Jet-boat excursions run upriver into Hells Canyon from the Clarkston marina, and whitewater rafting trips launch from nearby. The canyon scenery is dramatic: steep basalt walls, bighorn sheep on the ledges, and very few other people once you get past the first few miles.
Clarkston is also the furthest-inland seaport in the Pacific Northwest — ocean-going barges navigate the Snake and Columbia rivers all the way from Portland. The town sits in a deep valley with a notably mild climate compared to the surrounding plateau, making it one of eastern Washington's warmer spots year-round.
There is not much reason to linger in Clarkston itself beyond the river access, but the drive in from any direction passes through striking canyon and plateau country.