Snake Alley

Snake Alley was laid out in 1894 by a group of Burlington's German immigrants, including a stonemason and others familiar with the switchbacked roads that climbed the steep vineyard hills of the old country. Burlington's bluffs posed a real problem for wagon traffic, and the alley was conceived as a clever way to connect the business district below with the neighborhoods above without a punishing straight climb.

The design packs several sharp switchbacks and half-curves into a very short, very steep block, paved in tilted brick set to give horses' hooves a grip. It was ambitious and picturesque, but the tight turns proved hard on horses and wagons, and the idea was never widely copied. Instead the street became a landmark in its own right, long advertised as the crookedest in the world, a claim it shares in friendly rivalry with a famous street in San Francisco.

Burlington grew up as a busy river port and rail town on the Mississippi, and its steep bluffs shaped how the city was built, with streets climbing and switching back to reach the heights above the water. The wealth of its steamboat and railroad heyday left behind grand homes, churches, and commercial buildings, many of which still line the streets around Snake Alley.

The neighborhood above the alley, known as Heritage Hill, is a district of well-kept Victorian-era houses that repays a walk. From the top of the bluff the land falls away toward the broad Mississippi, and the whole area gives a strong sense of a prosperous river city built into difficult, dramatic terrain.

Most visitors experience Snake Alley on foot, climbing or descending its switchbacks and pausing at the curves to take in the old brick and the view. It is steep enough that the tilted paving is genuinely slick when wet or icy, so sure footing matters, especially in cold or rainy weather.

It is possible to drive down the one-way street, a slow and careful maneuver that gives a real feel for how tight the turns are, and cyclists have long tested themselves against the climb in an annual race up the alley. However you take it, it is a short, memorable stop on a river town full of character.

Spring and summer are the easiest seasons to visit, with warm weather and dry brick underfoot and the surrounding gardens and old homes at their best. It is a fine time to combine the alley with a stroll of the historic hill and a look at the riverfront below.

Fall brings color to the bluff and cooler days for the climb, and it is when the alley's cycling race traditionally draws crowds. Winter can leave the steep brick icy and treacherous, so it is worth extra caution, though the bare trees open up the views down toward the Mississippi.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Snake Alley, in the Mississippi River city of Burlington in southeastern Iowa, is a famous, wildly winding street often billed as one of the most crooked streets in the world. Built in the late nineteenth century to help horse-drawn wagons descend a steep bluff, the brick-paved lane switchbacks sharply back and forth down the hillside in a series of tight curves, creating a remarkable and quirky landmark. Lined with historic homes, it draws curious visitors and cyclists who come to see and travel the twisting street. With its extraordinary curves, historic brickwork, and quirky fame, Snake Alley offers a fun and unique destination in Burlington, Iowa.

Snake Alley was built so crooked on purpose in the late nineteenth century to solve a practical problem: the street needed to descend a very steep bluff between the downtown and a neighborhood above, and a straight road would have been too steep for horses and wagons to manage safely. Engineers designed a series of tight switchback curves, like a snake, to ease the grade, paving it in brick set at an angle for traction. The clever design worked and became a beloved oddity. This ingenious solution is why Snake Alley twists so dramatically in Burlington, Iowa.

You can walk or drive down the famously twisting brick street, marvel at its sharp switchback curves, photograph the quirky landmark and the historic homes lining it, learn its clever history, and enjoy the views over Burlington and the Mississippi River from the top. The street even hosts a well-known bicycle race up its curves at a certain time of year. The remarkable crookedness is the whole fun of it. With its extraordinary curves, historic charm, and river-city setting, Snake Alley offers a fun and memorable stop in Burlington, southeastern Iowa.

If you drive Snake Alley, go slowly and carefully, as the curves are extremely tight and the brick surface can be slick, especially when wet, and it is generally driven one-way downhill, so heed any signs. Walking it is a fun alternative, but wear sturdy shoes, as the brick is steep and uneven. Be mindful of the residents, as historic homes line the street. Taking the curves slowly and watching your footing ensures a safe and enjoyable visit to Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa.

Snake Alley is in the Mississippi River city of Burlington in southeastern Iowa, within reach of the Old Threshers Heritage Museum at Mount Pleasant, the historic Villages of Van Buren and Lacey-Keosauqua State Park to the west, and the Mississippi River scenery of the region. That makes Snake Alley a quirky stop to combine with the Old Threshers Heritage Museum, the Villages of Van Buren, and the other attractions of southeastern Iowa on a visit to the state.