Slithering Through Burlington’s Snake Alley

If you haven’t been to Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa, then you are missing out on Ripley’s Believe It or Not “Oddest Spot in America”.

Snake Alley consists of five half-curves, and two quarter-curves and drops 58 feet over a distance of 275 feet.

Why, you ask? Well, according to history the path was constructed in 1894 to connect the top of the bluff to the commercial district below. The street is reminiscent of vineyard paths in France and Germany.

It is composed of limestone and blue clay bricks.

Each year, Burlington hosts the Snake Alley Criterium, one of the most physically challenging races in the Midwest. The annual event is held on a 15-block course, with differences in elevation from 555 feet to 678 feet. The course is entirely on city streets, mostly in the downtown commercial area and of course includes the challenging Snake Alley.

So, grab a Southern Airways Express flight, and check out all there is to do in Burlington. Grab a bike or rent a car and slither your way thru the “Unbelievably Crooked” Snake Alley.