Snake River Canyon (Idaho) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Snake River Canyon (Idaho)
Snake River Canyon, Idaho
Snake River Canyon (Idaho) Location in Idaho
Geography
Country	United States
State	Idaho
County	Twin Falls and Jerome
River	Snake River

The Snake River Canyon is a huge ditch in the ground carved out by the Snake River. You can find it in the Magic Valley area of southern Idaho. This canyon helps form the border between Twin Falls County to the south and Jerome County to the north.

The canyon is very deep, going down about 500 feet (150 meters). It's also about 0.25 miles (0.4 kilometers) wide. The canyon stretches for more than 50 miles in total. A famous bridge called the Perrine Bridge crosses the canyon right near the city of Twin Falls. About 5 miles (8 kilometers) east of the Perrine Bridge, you'll find the amazing Shoshone Falls. The canyon keeps going past Glenns Ferry and south of Boise, making it quite a long natural feature.

How the Snake River Canyon Was Formed

For a long time, people thought the Snake River Canyon was created by a massive flood. This flood was believed to have happened about 15,000 years ago. It came from a huge ancient lake called Lake Bonneville.

However, by the year 2000, scientists (geologists) learned more. They now believe that while the big flood did shape the canyon, the basic canyon structure was already there before the flood. So, the flood made it bigger and deeper, but it didn't create the canyon from scratch.

History of the Snake River Canyon

In the late 1800s, a person named I. B. Perrine and others started the first successful farms in the Magic Valley. These farms were right on the floor of the Snake River Canyon.

Later, in the early 1900s, new irrigation projects helped bring water to the areas around the canyon. This made it easier to farm outside the canyon. Because of this, farming on the canyon floor became less important. Today, the canyon floor is a popular spot for visitors. You can find several parks and even golf courses there.

Famous Jumps at the Canyon

The Snake River Canyon is well-known because of some daring stunt attempts.

Evel Knievel's Rocket Jump

In 1974, a famous stuntman named Evel Knievel tried to jump across the canyon. He used a special rocket called the Skycycle X-2. Sadly, his attempt was not successful. The dirt ramp he built for that jump is still there today. It has become a popular place for tourists to visit.

Eddie Braun's Successful Jump

Many years later, on September 16, 2016, another stuntman named Eddie Braun tried the same jump. He used technology that was very similar to what Evel Knievel used 42 years before. This time, Eddie Braun successfully jumped across the canyon!

Images for kids

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  View west down the Snake River Canyon from Shoshone Falls

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  Looking west down the Snake River Canyon from the Perrine Bridge

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  View up the Snake River Gorge above Shoshone Falls