Three Island Crossing re-enactment canceled due to dangerously high water

The historic reenactment of the pioneers crossing the Snake River won’t happen this year.

“The water levels are just too high,” organizer Rick Wills said.

But you still can celebrate the people who braved the treacherous Snake River at the Three Island Crossing Festival at Glenns Ferry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. The cost is $5 per car at the gate.

The reenactment was scheduled to return to the festival for the first time since 2010. But as always, safety comes first, Wills says, and the current conditions are just too dangerous. They will try again next year.

The rest of the annual festival should go on without a hitch.

Organizers will literally circle the wagons for the event and offer wagon rides. You also can check out the Mountain Man Village, see historical demonstrations and learn about the pioneers who traveled the Oregon Trail into and through Idaho.

There also will be food vendors, bluegrass music, and an arts and crafts fair.

Until Gus Glenn built his ferry in 1869, pioneers on the Oregon Trail had to make a choice: Ford the Snake River at the dangerous Three Island Crossing or continue on a long, grueling southern route to Fort Boise. More than 50,000 pioneers crossed the river using two of the three islands, which sit like stepping stones between its banks.

This story was originally published August 9, 2016 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Three Island Crossing re-enactment canceled due to dangerously high water."