Black Magic Canyon

[River]

Black Magic Canyon is a unique, sculpted riverbed through the basalt lava fields of south central Idaho. Many folks drive through the barren sage land on their way to Craters of the Moon and miss the hidden channel carved by the Big Wood River. During the summer months the canyon is impassable because it's filled with water, but during the winter all of the flow is captured by the Magic Reservoir upstream. It makes a great winter escape.

 

[Nick]

Way cool! That fluted rock is amazing! So they just cut out all the flow completely during the winter? Must be crazy in there when it's flowing.

 

[River]

Yep, they shut all of the water off during the winter to fill the reservoir. It's full again during the irrigation season. Would be fun to see what it looks like with water.