One of the most spectacular urban hikes I've ever taken is along a towering cliff face that follows the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls, Idaho. I call this hike an "urban" hike because it is in no way an escape into the quiet of the countryside. On the south side of the river canyon, where the paved path is located, you're never far from noisy roads, houses, restaurants and even strip malls, and, as you'll see in the video, a massive but beautiful bridge and golf course are your constant companions.
Another issue that has to be forgiven to truly enjoy the Snake River Canyon "Trail" is that the path itself isn't continuous. There are points where the land the trail should go through is privately owned and there's no public access allowed. This means in a few locations, you have to trek inland further into Twin Falls' hustle and bustle to reach the next section of cliffside trail.
Fortunately, the lack of a complete nature escape on the Snake River Canyon Trail is more than compensated by the spectacular view it delivers of the enormous, chunky basalt cliffs, and the brilliant green Snake River meandering hundreds of feet below. There are also several excellent information posts that explain the history and explosive geology that created the almost-overwhelming scenery before you. In addition to being the location of many volcanic eruptions, the river channel was gouged to monstrous proportions when a rock dam broke that was holding back enormous Lake Bonneville toward the end of the last Ice Age. Wow!
The day I hiked from the point where the trail starts west of the stately Perrine Bridge all the way to the point where the dirt ramp left decades ago from Evel Knievel's attempt to jump the mile-wide chasm in his Skycycle (he failed when his vehicles parachute opened early) was mostly sunny and hot, so I made sure to bring plenty of water. Despite the encroachment of civilization and its noise on this hike, I strongly recommend it. It's just too unusual and interesting on a colossal scale to pass up. (I also enjoyed running up Evel Knievel's ramp to get a taste of how dangerous his 1974 stunt really was. This was quite a thrill for an old man who was 11 at the time.)
Music: Sunspots by Jeremy Blake
