Snake River Plain

43°00′N 113°30′W / 43.000°N 113.500°W / 43.000; -113.500

The Snake River cutting through the plain leaves many canyons and gorges, such as this one near Twin Falls, Idaho
Snake River Plain across southern Idaho
The eastern Snake River Plain, image from NASA's Aqua satellite, 2008

The Snake River Plain is a geologic feature located primarily within the U.S. state of Idaho. It stretches about 400 miles (640 km) westward from northwest of the state of Wyoming to the Idaho-Oregon border. The plain is a wide, flat bow-shaped depression and covers about a quarter of Idaho. Three major volcanic buttes dot the plain east of Arco, the largest being Big Southern Butte.

Most of Idaho's major cities are in the Snake River Plain, as is much of its agricultural land.


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