What Snake River is known for

The Snake River Destination is known for its diverse landscape and the river where it gets its name, "Snake River." The destination has also been noted to have small towns with close-knit communities. Towns hold fun events like Porcupine Racing for the Fourth of July and have local music festivals for locals and visitors alike. Famous businesses in the area include horseback riding lessons at Payette National Forest, beaches along the Snake River, and local restaurants. The popular area attractions in the Snake River Destination are outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, rock climbing, horseback riding, and mountain biking.[9] 

Approximately 90,000 people visit the Snake River Destination annually. Tourism peaks in the spring and summer months, between May-August. The other time of year when tourism spikes in the winter from December - February because of the snowfall and ski resorts. Tourists visit from all over the world, but many visitors are from within the United States and the state of Idaho. The area offers a slower lifestyle, no crowds, and diverse landscapes, which calls to tourists with hectic lives. The zone has been described as quiet and peaceful; many tourists travel to the area for relaxation and to escape from excessive people and noise. Many people also travel to the area for the landscape and nature activities.[11] 

The most popular attraction in the Snake River Destination is The Payette National Forest. The Forest was initially made up of two national forests, the Weiser National Forest and the Idaho National Forest, before it was combined into one park in 1944. Both national norests were originally established in the early 1900s, so the land has been known to the public since then. The park today has over 23 million acres of land for tourists and visitors to explore. The park has hiking trails, mountain biking paths, and a horseback riding ranch within the park. Families are invited to picnic, explore, and visit the on-site learning center to educate themselves on nature.[14] Other highly-visited attractions include the Mundo Hot Springs, the McCall Fish Hatchery, and the Council Valley Museum.[2] 

The Mundo Hot Springs, located in Cambridge, Idaho, is a natural mineral pool heated by the earth's core. Guests can take a soak in the main pool, visit the on-site spa, and eat at the bistro. The Mundo Hot Springs is open Wed-Thurs from 4 PM - 8 PM, and Fri-Sun from 12 PM - 8 PM. Tickets are all under ten dollars.[3] The McCall Fish Hatchery is an indoor incubation area that breeds salmon and other fish and keeps their eggs safe. The eggs hatch and the baby fish are raised in preditor free waters until they are old enough to fend for themselves, and they are released into the wild. Tourists can visit in the spring and summer months to see the fish eggs and babies and learn about fish, genetics, and why they are so crucial to the environment.[6] 

Lastly, the Council Valley Museum is a popular attraction that teaches visitors the history of the area. The Museum is open for tours Tues-Sat from 10 AM - 4 PM every week but is closed on holidays.[4] Most of the products that are produced in the destination are farming and agriculture products. Potato farming is popular, and many of the crops are shipped throughout the world to make french fries, potato chips, and for people to buy in the grocery store. Other than potato farming, other forms of agriculture are produced in the area. Wheat, corn, and barley farms can be found within the Region. However, these resources are less common and stay mostly within the state. There are not many famous or "big" businesses, only local shops and restaurants and miles of nature.[13]

Geography

The Snake River Region's geography is diverse and includes plains, rocky mountains, rivers, lakes, and hills. The destination spans vertically (from bottom to top) from Ontario, Idaho, up to just shy of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Both Highway 95 and the 84 travel vertically through the Region. Horizontally (from left to right), the land circles around Baker, Idaho, then encompasses Warm Lake and the Payette National forest. The region's shape resembles an oval, which is centered around the Snake River. The large forests in the region are the Payette National Forest and the woods on the mountain ridges near Halfway, Idaho. Other notable landmarks include lakes in McCall, Cascade, and the Snake River. 

The Snake River Destination has snowfall from the months of November-April every year. With the average temperatures at that time being between 10-30 degrees F. Some years, the winter temperatures dip into the negative numbers. However, that's a rare occurrence. In the summer months, temperatures range between 70-100 degrees F. The average temperature in the area year-round is between 40-60 degrees F. The weather and temperatures in the area fluctuate a lot, especially in the winter and in the summer. Peak tourist season is between the months of May and August when the temperature is in the 70-100 degree range. The destination has reported getting 3-4 feet of snow annually. The summers are very dry and only get 1-2 inches of precipitation.[11] 

The Snake River Destination is a large farming area that focuses on potato, wheat, and barley farming. The agriculture is plentiful, and in the spring and summer months, millions of pounds of potatoes, wheat, and barley are shipped throughout the state and the world.[13] The plants in the Snake River Destination include different species of flowers, trees, and shrubbery. Some standard trees (found mostly in the mountainous areas of the region) include White Furs, Subalpine Firs, Douglas Maple, and Grand Fur. The flowers in the destination include Yarrow, Columbia Monkshood, Common Corncockle, and Nodding Onion. Other common plants/bushes are Red Baneberry, Box Elder, and Jointed Goatgrass. Many of the plants only grow in the spring and summer months, except for the fur trees, which live even during winter. The animals commonly seen in the area include moose, rabbits, grey wolves, elk, snakes, turtles, and chipmunks.[12]

History

The Snake River Destination was first inhabited by several different groups of Native Americans. Most people lived along the riverbank of Snake River. Native American tribes would migrate to the area during the summer for the farming grounds. The destination encompasses the entirety of Snake River. Since it is the centerpiece of the region, it is where the river gets its name. Snake River itself was named after a Canadian Traveler in the early 1800s. The river was a famous trading ground for fur traders, and during the springtime, there would be a salmon run where the native people of the land would spear for fish to store for the winter.[9] 

In the late 1800s, a few Nordic Mountain Men passed through the region, and when they got home, they talked about how plentiful the land was. So, in 1889, Coal miners settled into the area, bringing their families and friends. The city of McCall one of the first cities to be settled, then citizens and travelers started expanding and creating new towns throughout the region. Tourism became popular in the early 1900s because of the diverse landscape. Tourism became so popular that the city of McCall opened a winter carnival in 1923, which is still an annual event to this day. Over the years, farming boomed, and people gained a lot of resources from the land. Hollywood also took notice in the area, and several movies have been shot in the area. However, the area is known for being quiet and peaceful. To this day, the population remains small, and the cities are spread out. The region still hosts many fun events like porcupine racing on the fourth of July and the winter carnival.[11] 

The first people to inhabit the destination were three Native American tribes: the Tukudika, Shoshone, and Nez Perce. In the 1800s, Nordic and European travelers discovered the land and settled there. Today, many nationalities populate the Snake River Region. Some cultures and people that are living there today are of English, Irish, Norwegian, German, Native American, Welsh, and French descent. The Payette National Forest was initially made up of two National Forests, the Weiser National Forest and the Idaho National Forest before it was combined into one park in 1944. Both original National Forests were established in the early 1900s, so the land has been known to the public since then. The park today has over 23 million acres of land for tourists and visitors to explore. The park has hiking trails, mountain biking paths, and a horseback riding ranch within the park. Families are invited to picnic, explore, and visit the on-site learning center to educate themselves on nature.[14] 

The population of the destination is around 10,000, but a census has not been taken since 2010, so the number may have fluctuated throughout the decade. Most of the cities house around 2,000 people.[10] The Snake River Destination has recorded some of the most snowfall annually than any other region within the state of Idaho. Originally, the zone had a large sawmill logging company, but it was shut down in 1977 in an attempt to maintain the trees in the land. The area has an all-season tourist rate.[9] The destination is focused on farming and preserving the land for generations to come, and continues to expand its farming land while working with modern techniques to help maintain the land's natural resources.[11]