Idaho's Best Waterfalls and Hot Springs

Idaho has an extraordinary hot spring resource — hundreds of natural geothermal springs throughout the central mountains — plus some of the most dramatic waterfall scenery in the Pacific Northwest.

Shoshone Falls (212 ft — Twin Falls)
The "Niagara of the West" — taller than Niagara Falls at 212 feet, 900 feet wide across the basalt rim. Best viewed in spring (March–April) when flows are highest before irrigation diversions reduce the Snake River. In late summer, the falls can be nearly dry — irrigation demands on the Snake River upstream reduce the flow dramatically. The Shoshone Falls Park has a viewing platform; $5 entry fee.

Twin Falls — Perrine Bridge
The Perrine Bridge (486 feet above the Snake River Canyon) is the only bridge in the US where BASE jumping is legal year-round — on any given weekend, jumpers leap from the bridge to parachute to the river below. The view from the bridge overlooks the Twin Falls canyon and Shoshone Falls area.

Minnetonka Cave (near St. Charles)
A cave system in the Bear River Range in southeast Idaho — guided tours reveal cave formations (stalactites, stalagmites, helictites) in a 1.5-mile round trip underground. The cave temperature is 40°F year-round. American Fork Canyon Road approach.

Idaho Hot Springs
Idaho has more hot springs than any other state in the continental US except perhaps Nevada. Notable accessible hot springs:
- Kirkham Hot Springs (Lowman, south fork Payette River) — multiple pools along the river bank, 65°F to 110°F, very popular
- Stanley Hot Springs (near Stanley/Sawtooth) — primitive hike-in springs in the Salmon River mountains, outstanding in winter
- Lava Hot Springs (Bannock County) — a developed hot spring resort town in southeast Idaho; free municipal hot spring pools alongside the Portneuf River.
- Goldbug Hot Springs (Salmon River area) — 4-mile round-trip hike to a cascade of hot spring terraces on a forested hillside; one of the most beautiful hot spring settings in Idaho.