Snake River Canyon (Wyoming) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Snake River Canyon/Grand Canyon |
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Snake River near Alpine, Wyoming
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| Geography | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Wyoming |
| County | Lincoln |
The Snake River Canyon is a cool natural valley in western Wyoming, United States. It's sometimes called the Grand Canyon of Wyoming. This canyon was carved out by the mighty Snake River, just south of a famous area called Jackson Hole.
At the very end of this canyon, you'll find the town of Alpine, Wyoming. This is where the Snake River meets two other rivers, the Greys River and the Salt River. They all flow into the Palisades Reservoir, right on the border between Wyoming and Idaho. The canyon is super popular for exciting white-water rafting trips. Many people say it has some of the best rafting spots in the whole United States! A main road, US 89, runs right through the canyon.
How the Snake River Canyon Was Formed
The Snake River Canyon is a great place to see how Earth's forces shape the land. As the Snake River flows from Hoback, Wyoming, to Alpine, Wyoming, it cuts through something called a fold and thrust belt.
Understanding Fold and Thrust Belts
Imagine pushing a rug across a floor. It doesn't just slide smoothly; it bunches up and folds. Something similar happens with Earth's crust! A fold and thrust belt is an area where huge pieces of the Earth's outer layer, called tectonic plates, have pushed against each other.
For the Snake River Canyon, the North American Plate has been pushing against another plate, the Farallon Plate. This pushing and squeezing over millions of years created the amazing folds and "thrusts" (where one rock layer slides over another) that you can see in the canyon walls today. It's like looking at a giant history book written in rock!
