Black Magic Canyon of the Big Wood River | Idaho

Welcome to one of the most intriguing and least-known geologic features in Idaho. Over thousands of years the Big Wood River sliced a narrow gash through a thick layer of lava rock from a nearby crater. The relentless force of water created a remarkable place known as Black Magic Canyon. This impressive feature is a natural rock sculpture garden. The Big Wood River chiseled the entire canyon, its walls and riverbed into corridors that excite the imagination. Huge boulders are worn smooth and flowing shapes. Potholes and keyholes appear in solid rock, offering windows into the canyon’s mysterious past. This entire experience feels like visiting an alien world.
This portion of Idaho has quite the volcanic past. Black Butte, located 1.5 miles southwest, erupted about 10,000 years ago and spread red-hot lava over a hundred square miles. The lava followed the original channel of the Big Wood River, forcing the steam to change course. When Black Butte erupted, global temperatures were rising and the ice age waning in North America. Glaciers were melting in nearby mountain ranges. Massive volumes of glacial melt laden with hard granite and quartz, surged through this region for thousands of years. Similar to a sculptor’s chisel, these harder stones scoured and carved the softer basalt rock of the Black Butte lava flow.
The Big Wood River is much tamer today, but visitors must remain cautious exploring due to how slippery the rock can be. Irrigation water from the nearby Magic Reservoir is released through the canyon from April 15-October 15. Water can appear in the river channel at any time throughout this period - depending on irrigation needs. The entire canyon stretches for nearly 15 miles downstream.
The Snake River Plain is one of the world’s most active volcanic regions. It began forming about 17 million years ago when a plume of molten rock rose close to the surface of the Earth. This part of the Snake River Plain in Idaho was over the hot spot 9-11 million years ago. Since the Black Butte eruption the region has been covered by thick, smooth layers of black lava.
I hope you enjoy today’s journey to the remarkable Black Magic Canyon & don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe!

[@sarita5572]

Close to my hometown Hailey, Idaho. Glad I found this channel. It's been a few years since being home. 😊

[@lkarloff]

@@sarita5572 I’ve been through Hailey a couple of times and it was such a beautiful town. Thank you for the wonderful comment, I just love Idaho and have a huge respect for the history and culture there. I will be uploading nearly 15 more videos in the coming weeks from my trip to Idaho back in June. 😁 Truly a remarkable state full of natural beauty.