The Snake River Canyon was originally formed by the Snake River in the Magic Valley/Twin Falls region of southern Idaho. The entire canyon ranges up to 500 feet (150 meters) +/- deep and 0.25 miles (0.4 kilometers) +/- wide and runs for approximately 50 miles through Kuna, Idaho. From there, the Snake River forms the boundary between Oregon and Idaho, flowing north/northwest, and eventually empties into the Columbia River at Pasco, Washington and on to the Pacific Ocean.
These drone still photos were captured after takeoff at Dedication Point, located 16 miles south of Kuna, on Swan Falls Road. Dedication Point is rugged, isolated and is the gateway to some amazing views of the canyon. The point is well marked, has restroom facilities, trash cans, plenty of parking and a half mile nature loop that is easy to circumnavigate.
The overlook offers a sweeping panoramic view of this segment of the Snake River Canyon and the river below. On the cliffs to the left of the point, raptors can be seen flying in and around the canyon walls as they search for food. The raptors can be viewed quite easily with the naked eye, though a pair of binoculars will certainly bring them closer to view. The occasional flybys caught on the companion video (see link below) clearly indicates the vast populations of these birds of prey.
In the past it was generally believed the 50+ mile long Snake River Canyon was created by a cataclysmic flood caused by water released from Lake Bonneville approximately 15,000 years ago. However, as of 2000, geologists believe that while the canyon was shaped by the flood, its basic structure predated it. The Snake River originates deep in the forested mountains, southeast of Yellowstone National Park and north of Bridger Teton National Forest.
After a brief tour north, I turn south and journey towards the distant Swan Falls Dam, which is about 40 miles south of Boise. This dam was built in 1901 to provide electricity to nearby mines in the Owyhee Mountains. Swan Falls is the oldest hydroelectric generating site on the Snake River. Idaho Power built a new power plant in the mid-1990s. The old plant is now a museum.
🤠 Thank you for taking the time to view these photographs.
Companion video production:
https://youtu.be/dVuLed8i7_0