Snake River Canyon Scenic Byway will offer rural vistas, historical spots

The Snake River Canyon Scenic Byway is the newest of Idaho's 28 official byways, and the first to focus on agricultural attractions.

Advocates for Canyon County's new scenic byway are working on a plan to develop the 53-mile route as a tourist attraction. The route runs from Walter's Ferry to the Nyssa, Ore., bridge, passing ancient rock art, small towns, wineries and orchards. And Nampa and Caldwell are designated as "trailheads," committee chair Lyndell Jackson said.

"They can be starting points, since that's where almost all of the real amenities are, as far as restaurants and motels," Jackson said.

Advocates have identified a dozen sites as byway attractions, including the Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area, Map Rock, Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge and the cities of Parma, Wilder and Greenleaf. And they are considering adding a couple of loop drives - one through the vineyards and orchards of Sunny Slope and another that would cross the river to drive through Owyhee County from Marsing to Homedale, project manager Nancy Taylor said.

The committee is developing a draft corridor management plan that outlines which sites will be featured and what amenities are envisioned at each. A draft plan and byway map will be developed before the tentative September open houses - two or three public meetings held at varied spots in the county, Taylor said. After the open houses, revisions will be made, and the finalized plan submitted to the Idaho Transportation Department by late November, she said.

Once the corridor management plan is approved, the byway committee will be able to apply for state-administered federal funds to develop amenities along the route, Taylor said. Ultimately, they plan to try for designation as a national byway, which would greatly expand funding possibilities for larger projects such as parking lots and bathrooms at some sites, Jackson said.

Already the committee has $50,000 in federal funds to use for interpretive signs, which could range from one-panel signs to explanatory kiosks.

"It's going right as it's supposed to be going," said Taylor, who has worked on several other byway projects. "We're getting a lot of interest and involvement."

Kristin Rodine: 377-6447