The Kirby Creek Lodge is on the Idaho side of the Snake River about 28 miles downriver from Hells Canyon Dam.

A business that runs jet boat trips in Hells Canyon has bought the only parcel of private property on the wild section of the Snake River, and the new owner plans to renovate the lodge and open it for vacation rentals.

Kurt Killgore, owner of Killgore Adventures in White Bird, Idaho, believes the remodeled Kirby Creek Lodge, on the Idaho side of the river about 28 river miles below Hells Canyon Dam, will be a unique destination in Hells Canyon.

“It’s a really cool area, with a nice beach and a dock,” Killgore said. “I think people are really going to enjoy the idea of having that to themselves for a few nights in Hells Canyon.”

The quarter-acre property also includes the main lodge, about 3,500 square feet, and a 1,200-square-foot structure.

There is no road to Kirby Creek Lodge, so access is by boat.

The lodge is about five miles upriver from Pittsburgh Landing, also on the Idaho side of the canyon. A road leads 19 miles from White Bird to Pittsburgh Landing, which includes a Forest Service campground and boat launch.

Killgore said the property was initially developed by Norm Riddle, a longtime Hells Canyon river guide who built the lodge. Riddle died in 2014.

Killgore bought the property from Mike Luther, who operated the lodge as a bed and breakfast.

Killgore declined to say how much he paid for the parcel.

His goal is to update the lodge, which has a decor reflecting its construction in the 1970s, including wood paneling that Killgore plans to replace with drywall.

He also intends to install new flooring, furniture and appliances, paint the buildings and install solar panels and a backup generator. The property is off the electrical grid.

Luther operated the lodge as a bed and breakfast, offering meals as well as lodging.

Killgore said his initial plan is to run the lodge as a vacation rental, with visitors arranging for their meals.

“I’m pretty busy — I’m not going to make your pancakes,” he said with a laugh.

In the future, though, Killgore said he would like to offer meals as an option. He’s also pondering such things as a dinner cruise from Pittsburgh Landing, where visitors would ride a jetboat to Kirby Creek, have dinner, then return.

Kirkwood Historic Ranch, which is run by the Forest Service and open to the public, is just a mile or so upriver from Kirby Creek, and the two sites are connected by a hiking trail that’s suitable for all ages, Killgore said.

He’d like to have the remodeled lodge ready for visitors by this July, but there is no firm timeline.

Killgore said he’ll post updates on the Killgore Adventures Facebook page and Instagram account.

The 32-mile reach of the Snake River from Hells Canyon Dam to Pittsburgh Landing is designated as a wild river under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Downstream from Pittsburgh Landing, the river is designated as scenic for 34 miles.