Shoshone Falls, near Twin Falls, Idaho, is one of the natural wonders of the West. This little-known waterfall on the Snake River is impressive for its width and height. The falls are 900 feet wide and 212 feet high, 45 feet higher than the famous Niagara Falls on the border between New York and Ontario, Canada. Shoshone Falls has been proposed for inclusion in the National Park System but it was never approved. Due to its relative isolation in south central Idaho and lack of nationwide marketing, this natural wonder does not receive the attention it deserves.
On a driving trip to Alaska in early June, my wife and I overnighted in an RV park in Twin Falls, Idaho. Learning how close we were to Shoshone Falls and never having seen them, we decided to take the short three-mile drive to the falls. As a Twin Falls City Park there is a five dollar per vehicle entrance fee, collected from March through September. It was a short walk from the parking lot to the main viewing platform and we could hear the roar of the falling water well before we could see the falls.
Since it was still early in the season the volume of snow melt runoff in the Snake River was tremendous and the scene was nothing short of spectacular. The huge volume of water falling for such a distance created a cloud of mist filling the basin below the falls and soaking everyone on the viewing platform. Unfortunately, we were not wearing rain jackets. An appropriate name could well have been Rainbow Falls as a giant rainbow appeared in the mist. We were glad that we decided to take this side trip.
The paved Canyon Rim Trail offers numerous viewpoints and if taken far enough reaches the site of Evil Knievel’s failed attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in 1974. Portions of this trail are steep and there is very little shade. Be sure to take water if you take this trail. The park has a picnic area, restrooms, and a seasonal concession stand.
Historically, the Snake River received an impressive salmon and steelhead run each spring as these fish from the Pacific Ocean made their way into freshwater rivers, returning to their birthplace where they spawned and then died, completing their life cycle. Shoshone Falls was the farthest point on the Snake River that salmon could migrate. The height of the falls was too much for the fish to ascend. The Shoshone and Bannock tribes utilized the abundant fish during their annual run to supplement their diets heavily dependent on bison and other wild game. In the 1840s, some travelers on the nearby Oregon Trail would detour to see the falls and sometimes traded with the Shoshone for fish, providing a welcome change from their mundane diets while on the trail.
The falls can be a sight to behold, depending on the season, and may be well worth a side trip off of Interstate 84. If you are planning to visit, you should be aware that the volume of water is controlled by a dam about 20 miles upstream. In times of abundant water, the falls will be roaring over the basalt precipice but in drier seasons, such as late summer and fall, the volume of water will be greatly reduced as water is being held behind the dam to provide water for crop irrigation. The spring season and early summer are the most impressive times to experience the falls.