Snake River Trail in Burley, ID (Blog Hike #859)

Trail: Snake River Trail

Hike Location: City of Burley Boat Ramp
Geographic Location: west side of Burley, ID (42.54134, -113.81246)
Length: 1.9 miles
Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: July 2021
Overview: An out-and-back on concrete trail along the Snake River.
Area Information: https://burleyidaho.org/236/Burley-Snake-River-RV-Park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=879972
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In southeast Idaho, take I-84 to SR 27 (exit 208).  Exit and go south on SR 27.  Drive SR 27 south 1.4 miles to Bedke Blvd. and turn right on Bedke Blvd.  Drive Bedke Blvd. west 1.1 miles to the Burley Snake River RV Park and boat ramp on the right.  The boat ramp parking area also serves as the parking area for the Snake River Trail. 

The hike: Rising in the southernmost part of Wyoming's famous Yellowstone National Park, the Snake River flows on a 1078 mile west and northwest course to its mouth at the Columbia River in southeast Washington.  The Snake River is the second longest river in the Pacific Northwest (behind only the Columbia).  For centuries the river has provided a transportation corridor through an otherwise mountainous and inaccessible region.  The Nez Perce and Shoshone people lived along the river for thousands of years, and in the 1800's the Oregon Trail used the Snake River's corridor through southern Idaho as one of its western-most segments.

            In terms of scenery and recreation, the Snake River's most famous features are the spectacularly rugged Hells Canyon and the dramatic Shoshone Falls.  For people wanting to experience the river's more serene sections, they could do far worse than the section near Burley, Idaho.  A 1 mile concrete path recently built by the City of Burley allows visitors to walk along the river's south bank, and that path is the one described here.  While not the most secluded area, I appreciated this easy hike on a hot summer day that would see temperatures rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit later in the afternoon.

Trailhead at boat ramp

            From the east end of the boat ramp parking area, head out the concrete sidewalk-like path marked "no vehicles" and pass a kiosk offering life jackets.  The Snake River appears through a thin but dense strip of bushes to the left, and an active farm field soon appears on the right.  Because you are in Idaho, it should not surprise you that this field was growing potatoes on my visit.  I could hear a lot of birds in the bushes to the left, but the dense greenery prevented me from seeing many.

First Snake River view

            Soon you reach a trio of benches located at a clearing in the bushes, thus providing your first clear view of the Snake River.  Custer Island can be seen across the main river channel, and the river is deep, wide, and calm here.  As you continue upstream, the potato field gives way first to undeveloped land, then an old river access, and then a modern hotel.  More nice views of the river emerge, and the hotel's lawn sprinklers felt good on the hot mid-July afternoon that I came here.

Hiking along the Snake River

SR 27 Snake River bridge

            The concrete trail continues for about 1 mile, and toward the end it comes close to 3rd Street on the right.  A nice view of SR 27's bridge over the Snake River appears on the left just before the trail ends.  Retrace your steps back to the boat ramp parking area to complete your hike along the Snake River, looking for birds and other wildlife you may have missed earlier along the way.