Where U.S. Highway 30 descended from the deserts of the Snake River Plain to the irrigated farmland along the riverbottoms, the village of Hammet provided a place to stop for gas, a stretch, and even a night's stay. Now that most people whiz by on the freeway, Hammett is a lot quieter than it used to be, but you can still stop and stretch and visit some quaint old shops on the old highway.
Hammett today is spread-out community, apart from its modest historical center on the highway. Ranches, often with large, modern homes, are scattered along all the rural roads in the valley. No population figure is available for Hammett, but it must number in the hundreds. And new roads and houses were being built.
The valley is enclosed on both sides of the river by steep hills that climb to plateaus a few hundred feet higher. When view from below, the hills are rimmed by a line of lava rock which once covered all of this part of Idaho. To the east and west these hills close in and the Snake River passes through a narrow gorge. The surrounding area is an arid desert, but farming is made possible with irrigation water from the river.
In addition to Old Highway 30 and the freeway which head east and northwest from Hammett, Idaho Highway begins at Hammett and heads west along the Snake River. The elevation is 2,525 feet.
Find Hammett Landmarks to visit on vacation.
