JEROME, Idaho — Hundreds of people gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of a new overlook at Snake River Canyons Park in Jerome County — this time on the north side of the canyon, offering views of Shoshone Falls.
The overlook, which broke ground in December 2025, was funded in part through a buy-a-brick campaign, donations from Chobani and Idaho Power, and donated labor and equipment from nearby businesses.
Barbara Mecham has lived near what is now Snake River Canyons Park since she was 10 years old. She said she had been watching the overlook take shape since construction began.
"My youngest son brought me over on the 700 road which comes practically from my house through the desert and under the freeway and so I watched the construction from the beginning and it's fabulous," Mecham said. "It's beautiful."
The design philosophy of Snake River Canyons Park is to remain rustic, preserving the landscape as it has looked for centuries, amid a rapidly growing Magic Valley.
Brenda Weekes, a board member of the Snake River Canyons Park, helped lead the final push to bring this phase of the park to life. The board is made up entirely of volunteers.
WATCH | North-side overlook of Shoshone Falls opens at Snake River Canyons Park
"We're so excited because this has been a dream for a long time some people would say a pipe dream," Weekes said.
"We have been working on this for so long and so hard and all of our board has been really dedicated and our board is 100% volunteers, but I mean we have really treated this as a full-time job," she said.
Larry Hall, who retired from the economic development group Jerome 20/20, spent nearly a decade championing the cause of building the overlook before his retirement.
"It's a big deal. This is a long-term project in the making," Hall said.
"Seeing it on paper is one thing, but when you see it this way, it is amazing," he said.
Bricks are still available for purchase to have your name added to the overlook.
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