I absolutely loved my 5 days and 4 nights camping on the the big sands of my Snake River rafting trip in Hells Canyon, Idaho.
I have memories that continually come back to me from this river trip on the Snake River. Like most river adventures, there is the awe of the rapids, the scenery and the wildlife. On a Snake River rafting trip, you are actually in the deepest river gorge in North America! Yes, deeper than the grand, Grand Canyon!
One thing that continues to come back to me is the history of such a place. I was curious to learn about how the name Snake River came about. You might think that the mighty “Snake River” winds through the land like a Snake but it is believed that the Shoshone Indians who lived along the Snake River in ancient times, painted snake heads on sticks to terrify their enemies. They also used a hand signal as sign language that much represented the body of a snake.
Along the Snake River in Hells Canyon, we saw many pictographs left behind by the Nez Perce Indians. A hike to Suicide Point told a story of the love lost Indian prince who jumped to his death when not allowed to marry the love of his life. There are early settler’s cabins and homesteads that still remain after years of weather. There are mines left abandoned by miners from the late 1800’s.
I won’t forget about the luxury-style camping with all the gear supplied as well as the cargo raft that heads downstream during the day just to set up camp for you when you arrive! Ahh, the warm water, the fun of swimming alongside the raft!
Again, with most river adventures, you are not alone. This is the perfect opportunity to meet new friends and share this once in a lifetime adventure. I shared time with my sister-in-law that we probably would never have otherwise and met new friends together.
All of this added up to an educational and fun adventure on the Snake River in Hells Canyon.
