Snake River

Snake River at the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls

Oxbow Bend viewpoint on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park

The Snake River has its source at the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park, then flows into Wyoming south through Grand Teton National Park. Behind the Snake River Canyon, he turns to the west and reached the Snake River Plain, a plane which extends over about 600 km arc through southern Idaho. They go to the cities of Idaho Falls past, Pocatello, Twin Falls and Boise, forming several reservoirs such as the American Falls Reservoir. At the height of the Twin Falls Snake River forms the 70 m high, Shoshone Falls, also known as Niagara of the west. Then flows further to the north and forms part of the boundary between Idaho and Oregon.

The Shoshone Falls

The Snake River at Hells Canyon Reservoir Dam

South of Lewiston is the Snake River Hells Canyon, the one with depth up to 2410 m to the deepest gorges in the world. After the confluence with the Clearwater River, the river in the U.S. state of Washington is repeatedly dammed for power generation and finally ends in Pasco in the Columbia River. In the catchment area of the Snake River are among others the Owyhee Dam, the Dworshak Dam and not rebuilt after a dam burst in 1976, Teton Dam.

Earlier, the river was, among other Shoshone River and Lewis River named after the Lewis and Clark expedition had explored a part of the river in 1805. The name Snake possibly comes from an S- shaped hand sign of Shoshone Indians, which symbolized a floating salmon.

At the headwaters of the river about 670 km of the Snake River itself and its tributaries in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River, in the further course again have 107 km below the Hells Canyon Dam in Hells Canyon of the Snake River the same status.