The Snake River is one of Idaho’s true gems. It’s majestic, iconic, and powerful. It provides recreation, energy, and beauty to all of us. And here’s a way to enjoy it without doing any of the work.

        Swan Falls Excursions offers airboat rides on a stretch of the Snake River between Swan Falls and Marsing. You know airboats—those tour boats you see in documentaries about the Everglades, the ones with giant fans that make the boat go.

        What could be better than sitting back and relaxing while someone else guides the boat and tells you all about the area? All you have to do is bring along a little snack and plenty of sunscreen.

        The first leg of the four-hour excursion goes upstream to Swan Falls. First on the narrative is the story of how steamboats on the river carried supplies to miners in Silver City. Then the railroad came along. You pass under the Guffey Railroad Bridge, built in 1897 by Nampa benefactor and miner Col. William Henry Dewey, as part of the Nampa & Owyhee Railroad. You soon pass Celebration Park, where petroglyphs etched on rocks tell the story of native Americans who lived here 10,000 years ago. Farther on, you spot a 100-year-old stone hut on a bluff. It seems that even back then, doctors liked riverfront property.

        As the boat rides the waves around Suicide Point and the cliffs rise more steeply, your guide points out that Idaho Power has used whatever technology is available to monitor the river. An old zip line crosses the river with a basket barely big enough to hold a man. Learn how this technology was used to gather data about the river conditions and what new technology has replaced it. You’ll also hear how water was pumped 400' up the cliff to farms nearby.

        The great Bonneville Flood swept through the area 15,000 years ago—a mere blip in geologic time—leaving huge boulders in its wake. Your guide will tell you more about the fascinating geology of the canyon.

        At Swan Falls Dam, the boat stops for a few moments for a bathroom break and to talk about the dam. The guide points out the old and the new of dam technology.

        Then it’s time to head back downriver. Blue herons seem to be everywhere. A bald eagle searches for food along the cliffs. Birds of all sorts flit and glide on the wind that blows down the canyons.

        On the leg between Walters Ferry and Marsing, the cliffs flatten out to bars and modern homes sprout. A trio of pelicans spread their huge white wings and soar in front of the boat for several minutes. If you’re lucky you might see deer, beaver, muskrats, and snakes. (Well, if you consider seeing snakes lucky.)

Trip Information

For directions, information, prices, and reservations,  see www.swanfallsexcursions.com. Call 1 (800) 422-3568.

The boat loads at Walters Ferry, on Highway 45 south of Nampa. Advanced reservations are required.

You can take a four-hour or a two-hour trip, or there’s the option of a dinner cruise from Walters Ferry to Marsing, where you’ll stop to eat at the Sandbar River House Restaurant. 

Neysa CM Jensen is from Boise and enjoys Idaho’s great outdoors!