Was My Family In Danger on Popular Idaho Trail? What Kind of Snake is This?

This week, the Snake River Canyon around Centennial Park and the Mogensen Trail has been a common topic for my stories. My wife even took note and decided she wanted to take the kids on a hike down the Mogensen Trail. We've lived here a long time and never stepped foot on the trail.

Apparently, it looks a lot better from a distance. She said it was covered with poison ivy and stinging nettle. She also came across what she thought was a rattlesnake. While all those things are possible to see in the canyon, I'm not sure I trust my wife to be able to identify them all. Honestly, I don't trust myself to correctly identify all the Idaho hazards. I definitely know this was a Danger Noodle or a Nope Rope though.

What Kind Of Snake Is This On The Mogensen Trail In Twin Falls?

When my wife said they saw a Rattlesnake on the trail, I was skeptical. She showed me the video below and I was pretty certain it wasn't a rattlesnake, though rattlesnakes are a possibility in the area. and I assumed it was a bull snake since that's the only other type of large snake I know of around here. Maybe you know snakes better than we do?

Is This A Bull Snake, A Gopher Snake, Or A Rattlesnake?

Since there doesn't seem to be a rattle on the tail and the snake seems less stocky, I'm certain it isn't a Rattlesnake. Some people have commented on the post that it is a gopher snake, which I learned is the same species as a bull snake. So, if the internet people are right then I was technically right too.

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A few weeks ago, we wrote about an encounter with a snake and you all seemed pretty sure this was a harmless one too. Maybe if you feel the need to get out of your house during this upcoming heatwave week, skip Mogensen Trail and do the easy and cool Perrine Coulee Falls trail.

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