I. B. Perrine Bridge

After we got settled in our room, we drove back north to the Perrine Bridge, which passes over the Snake River. It is about 500 feet above the river and pretty interesting. It makes a long steel arch across. There are view points on both sides of the river, on each side of the bridge. There are also walkways along the edge of the gorge.

The Snake River gorge is about 500 feet deep, about a quarter of a mile wide, and the walls are all layers of basalt. It was carved out during the great Bonneville Flood of about 15,000 years ago, when Lake Bonneville emptied its contents into the Snake River. It's a very unusual setting and scene. To the west there are two golf courses which give an unusual contrast to the gray, rusted red of the basalt walls.

After dinner that evening we drove back to the Perrine Bridge and parked at the southeast view point and walked across along the walkway to the north side. The bridge didn't sway much at all, but there were a few disconcerting moments when large trucks drove across and we could feel the vibrations, especially at the joints. From the bridge and some of the eastern side view points we could see where Evil Kneval tried to jump the Snake River Gorge a bunch of years ago. We crossed under the bridge on the north side, and then walked back along the west side walk way.

Buzz Langdon Visitor Center

This is a small building right along the rim of the gorge, near the Perrine Bridge. They have lots of printed information about the area, as well as books and a few souvenirs. The place is staffed by elderly volunteers who are more than willing to make suggestions about what to see in the area.