Snake River Canyon (Idaho)

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Snake River Canyon (Idaho)
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Snake River Canyon, Idaho
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Snake River Canyon (Idaho)
Location of Snake River Canyon in Idaho
Geography
CountryUnited States
StateIdaho
County
Coordinates 42°36′N114°25′W / 42.600°N 114.417°W / 42.600; -114.417
RiverSnake River

Snake River Canyon is a canyon formed by the Snake River in the Magic Valley region of southern Idaho, forming part of the boundary between Twin Falls County to the south and Jerome County to the north. The canyon ranges up to 500 feet (150 meters) deep and 0.25 miles (0.40 kilometers) wide, and runs for just over 50 miles. [1] Perrine Bridge crosses the canyon immediately north of the city of Twin Falls; Hansen Bridge crosses the canyon to the east of Twin Falls. Shoshone Falls is located approximately 5 miles (8.0 kilometers) east of Perrine Bridge along the canyon. The canyon continues through Glenns Ferry and south of Boise, making it longer than 50 miles.

Contents

History

In the late 19th century I. B. Perrine and others founded the Magic Valley's first successful agricultural operations on the Snake River Canyon floor. The canyon's value as a farming area diminished after irrigation projects made agriculture practical in the surrounding areas in the early 20th century. Today the canyon floor is a tourist attraction and features several parks and golf courses.

In the past it was generally believed the Snake River Canyon was created by a cataclysmic flood caused by water released from Lake Bonneville approximately 15,000 years ago. [2] However, as of 2000, geologists believe that while the canyon was shaped by the flood, its basic structure predated it. [3]

Local fame

The canyon is well known as the site of an unsuccessful 1974 attempt by Evel Knievel to jump across it in the Skycycle X-2 rocket. The dirt ramp built for that jump is still there and remains a tourist attraction (42°35'49.5"N 114°25'22.3"W).

On September 16, 2016, stuntman Eddie Braun successfully jumped the canyon using technology similar to that used by Evel Knievel 42 years previously. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake River</span> Major river in the northwestern United States

The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At 1,078 miles (1,735 km) long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake River rises in western Wyoming, then flows through the Snake River Plain of southern Idaho, the rugged Hells Canyon on the Oregon–Idaho border and the rolling Palouse Hills of Washington, emptying into the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evel Knievel</span> American stunt performer (1938–2007)

Robert Craig Knievel, known professionally as Evel Knievel, was an American stunt performer and entertainer. Throughout his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. Knievel was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999. He died of pulmonary disease in Clearwater, Florida, in 2007, aged 69.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin Falls, Idaho</span> City in Idaho, United States

Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The city had a population of 51,807 as of the 2020 census. In the Magic Valley region, Twin Falls is the largest city in a 100-mile (160 km) radius, and is the regional commercial center for south-central Idaho and northeastern Nevada. It is the principal city of the Twin Falls metropolitan statistical area, which officially includes the entirety of Twin Falls and Jerome Counties. The border town resort community of Jackpot, Nevada, 50 mi (80 km) south at the state line, is unofficially considered part of the greater Twin Falls area. Located on a broad plain at the south rim of the Snake River Canyon, Twin Falls, is where daredevil Evel Knievel attempted to jump across the canyon in 1974 on a steam-powered rocket. The jump site is northeast of central Twin Falls, midway between Shoshone Falls and the Perrine Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hells Canyon</span> Canyon in the western United States

Hells Canyon is a ten-mile-wide (16 km) canyon in the Western United States, located along the border of eastern Oregon, a small section of eastern Washington and western Idaho. It is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area which is also located in part of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It is North America's deepest river gorge at 7,993 feet (2,436 m), running deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robbie Knievel</span> American stunt performer (1962–2023)

Robert Edward Knievel II was an American motorcyclist and stunt performer. He had also used the stage name Kaptain Robbie Knievel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoshone Falls</span> Waterfall on the Snake River, Idaho

Shoshone Falls is a waterfall in the western United States, on the Snake River in south-central Idaho, approximately three miles (5 km) northeast of the city of Twin Falls. Sometimes called the "Niagara of the West," Shoshone Falls is 212 feet (65 m) in height, 45 feet (14 m) higher than Niagara Falls, and flows over a rim nearly one thousand feet (300 m) in width.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Valley</span> Region in Idaho, United States

The Magic Valley is a region in south-central Idaho constituting Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls counties. It is particularly associated with the agricultural region in the Snake River Plain located in the area. The northern Magic Valley region — particularly Blaine and Camas Counties — is also known as the Wood River Valley after the Big Wood River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skycycle X-2</span> Type of aircraft

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perrine Bridge</span> Bridge over Snake River in Jerome and Twin Falls counties in Idaho, United States

The I. B. Perrine Bridge is a four-lane truss arch span over the Snake River in the western United States. Located in southern Idaho just north of the city of Twin Falls, it carries U.S. Highway 93 over the Snake River Canyon, connecting Twin Falls County with Interstate 84 in Jerome County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I. B. Perrine</span>

Ira Burton Perrine was an Idaho farmer, rancher and businessman. Perrine is generally credited as the founder of Twin Falls and other towns in the Magic Valley region.

Sheldon Arthur "Shelly" Saltman was a promoter of major sports and entertainment events including the worldwide promotion of the Muhammad Ali / Joe Frazier heavyweight championship boxing matches, creating the Andy Williams San Diego Golf Classic and helped to arrange the independent NFL Players Association games during the 1982 NFL season strike. Saltman was perhaps best known to the public as the man who Evel Knievel tried to beat to death with a baseball bat in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 93 in Idaho</span> Section of U.S. Highway in Idaho, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salmon Falls Creek</span> River in Nevada and Idaho, United States

Salmon Falls Creek is a tributary of the Snake River, flowing from northern Nevada into Idaho in the United States. Formed in high mountains at the northern edge of the Great Basin, Salmon Falls Creek flows northwards 121 miles (195 km), draining an arid and mountainous basin of 2,103 square miles (5,450 km2). The Salmon Falls Creek valley served as a trade route between the Native American groups of the Snake River Plain and Great Basin. Today, most of its water is used for irrigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonneville flood</span> Catastrophic flooding event in the last ice age

The Bonneville flood was a catastrophic flooding event in the last ice age, which involved massive amounts of water inundating parts of southern Idaho and eastern Washington along the course of the Snake River. Unlike the Missoula Floods, which also occurred during the same period in the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville flood happened only once. It is believed to be the second-largest flood in known geologic history.

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Dorothy Bailey Cline Custer was an American comedian, harmonicist, and centenarian most famous for her two appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She has since become the subject of the most-viewed story of all time on the website of Boise-based television station KTVB and has been the subject of numerous interviews in Idaho and other states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hansen Bridge</span> Bridge in Near Twin Falls, Idaho

The Hansen Bridge is a 350-foot (110 m) high concrete deck girder bridge that carries Idaho State Highway 50 over the Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho. The bridge spans the border of Jerome and Twin Falls Counties.

<i>Evel Knievel</i> (2004 film) American TV series or program

Evel Knievel is a 2004 American drama film directed by John Badham and written by Jason Horwitch. The film stars George Eads, Jaime Pressly, Lance Henriksen, Fred Thompson, Beau Bridges, Matt Gordon and Peter MacNeill. The film premiered on TNT on July 30, 2004. The movie is well known for its many gaffes and inaccurate portrayal of Knievel and his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evel Knievel Museum</span> History museum in Kansas, United States

The Evel Knievel Museum is a non-profit museum located in Topeka, Kansas, United States. The museum houses the largest collection of authentic Evel Knievel memorabilia in the world, including interactive experiences. It is 13,000 square feet and two stories. The museum is located adjacent to Topeka’s Historic Harley-Davidson and opened in June 2017.

<i>Stuntman</i> (2018 film) 2019 film directed by Daniel Myrick

Stuntman is a 2018 American documentary film, written and directed by Kurt Mattila. The events of the movie follow stunt performer Eddie Braun's recreation of Robert "Evel" Knievel's failed Skycycle X-2 jump over Snake River Canyon in Idaho.

References

  1. "River of Stone", Magic Valley website. Retrieved June, 2014.
  2. Dunlap, Tetona. "Anatomy of a Canyon: Dissecting the Panorama". MagicValley.com. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  3. Topinka, Lyn. "Lake Bonneville and the Bonneville Flood", Cascades Volcano Observatory, January 22, 2003. Accessed August 18, 2008.
  4. "Stuntman Eddie Braun makes the jump across the Snake River Canyon". kboi2.com. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Retrieved 16 September 2016.

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