While they weren’t Snake River rafting as we are today, the Snake was very important to them primarily because of the salmon from the Pacific Ocean. Over 11,000 years ago, the Snake was a vital source of life for the Native Americans, specifically the Shoshones, that were living along the banks of the river. It wasn’t until the year 1912 that the United States Geographic Board made official the name, “The Snake River.” The Snake River Got It’s Name From a Misinterpretation These names include the Shawpatin River, Lewis River, Mad River, Shoshone River, and Saptin River. Various stretches of the Snake have held at least fifteen different names throughout the years.

Other American explorers’ records after Lewis and Clark show a variety of names associated with the river. Next, Lewis and Clark gave the name Lewis River or Lewis Fork in 1805. In 1800, David Thompson first recorded the Native American name of the Snake as Shawpatin. Throughout the years, many explorers gave different names to the Snake. Brief History of Names of the Snake River

Why, then, is it called the Snake? While some may think that the reason it is called the Snake is because its shape has many twists and winds similar to a snake, it is actually believed to have received its name from a Native American hand symbol. Have you ever wanted to take a rafting trip on the Snake River but you were scared because of the name of the river? Have no fear! As it turns out, the Snake does not actually have any snakes in it.

Snake river