Idaho

Check out the amazing nature and waterfalls in Idaho!

People are sleeping on the great state of Idaho! We had some fun exploring a few towns and seeing the natural beauty of Idaho, and can’t wait to go back to see more!

Look at how tiny my family looks!

This trip was taken in July 2020 as part of a Yellowstone/Grand Teton road trip.

In Idaho, we saw a few awesome things:

Checkout the full vlog here:

Perrine Coulee Falls – Twin Falls, ID

This might be one of the coolest waterfalls we’ve come across — and it’s completely free and right off the side of the road.

We parked along the roadside and within just a few steps were basically there. The trail starts almost hidden behind a tree and drops down a short, slightly steep path, but nothing too difficult or intimidating.

What makes this waterfall so special is that you can actually walk behind it. It’s much bigger in person than the photos suggest — the scale is hard to capture until you’re standing right next to it.

From behind the falls, you can continue through to the other side and get different angles the whole way through, including views out toward the river below. It’s a quick stop, but one that feels surprisingly memorable for how easy it is to access.

Centennial Waterfront Park – Twin Falls, ID

Just down the street is a great little park. It has a playground, nice views and makes for a great spot for a picnic. We stayed here just briefly to see the Snake River (which we would be rafting later in the week) and the giant Perrine Memorial Bridge.

You can also see where Evel Knievel attempted to jump across the gorge on a steam powered rocket back in 1974. Apparently – he didn’t make it and the parachute opened prematurely. It was a huge canyon, so that is crazy.

Shoshone Falls – Twin Falls, ID

Next up was Shoshone Falls — another incredible waterfall that’s just a short walk from the parking lot.

The water was flowing really well when we visited (it can be much lower at certain times of year), which made it even more impressive. We even saw people kayaking near the base of the falls, which looked both exciting and slightly terrifying given the scale of the drop.

Dierkes Lake – Twin Falls, ID

Just a minute down the road, we made our final stop in Twin Falls at a nearby lake area with a nice park setup — parking, restrooms, grassy space, and a swimming area. There was even a small cliff-jumping spot, which was the main reason we went.

It ended up being our kids’ first time cliff jumping, and they absolutely loved it.

Idaho Falls, ID

The town itself was surprisingly cute, and it was nice to have a hotel right on the Snake River so we could walk along the river in the evening and again the next morning.

There’s a small waterfall section in town that’s manmade, so it’s not as dramatic as the natural ones we’d seen earlier in the day, but it still made for a peaceful morning walk.

Mesa Falls, ID

On the way back toward Salt Lake City, we made one more waterfall stop at Mesa Falls.

We parked at the visitor center and took a short walk to a boardwalk overlook. It’s a beautiful spot, but a bit out of the way, so I’d say it’s more of a “if you’re already passing through” kind of stop rather than a must-see destination on its own.

Lava Hot Springs, ID

One of the most unexpected stops of the whole trip came in a small town we passed through on the way back.

It’s known for hot springs and river rafting, though honestly I couldn’t tell you if rafting is a daily thing or just a lucky timing situation. All I know is that when we arrived, it looked like the entire town was on the water.

My husband and kids ended up renting a raft from someone on the street, putting in upstream, and floating down through town — then doing it all over again.

And when I say this place stuck with them… my husband still brings it up five years later.

If you want to keep following along, we’ve got full write-ups for the rest of this road trip too — including our time in Wyoming, Montana, and more stops through Utah.

Each one had its own completely different feel, from national parks to quiet drives and a few surprise stops we didn’t expect to love as much as we did.

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