Twin Falls, Idaho – Must See Places of Interest in the Area

What is a visit to Twin Falls without seeing the “Twin Falls”?   It is a waterfall on the Snake River in southern Idaho in the Snake River Canyon. The falls is a few miles east of its namesake city, Twin Falls. It is upstream of Pillar Falls and Shoshone Falls. Twin Falls is downstream from Milner Dam. Water flow over Twin Falls is controlled by dams used for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation. Some people may think that Twin Falls is a natural waterfall, but it’s not. It is a result of the damming of the Caney Fork River and the powerhouse.

The dam backed up the Caney Fork and Collins River. The Collins flows into the Caney Fork about a mile upstream of Twin Falls, but at this point, the two rivers are only 1000 feet apart. The water was diverted from the Collins to feed the powerhouse along man-made channels, but the water also found its own paths through the limestone to feed Twin Falls. The water pours out of the gorge walls about 80 feet above the Caney Fork River, and about 40 feet below the top of the gorge.

Shoshone Falls

I love waterfalls and had been looking forward to seeing these falls for a long time. I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed. The astounding Shoshone Falls, which are located approximately five miles east of the city of Twin Falls, and Perine Bridge, is one of the most spectacular,  natural, and beautiful waterfalls along the Snake River in southern Idaho. Sometimes called the “Niagara of the West,” Shoshone Falls is 212 feet high, which is 45 feet higher than Niagara Falls and flows over a rim 1,000 feet wide. Here is a link to their website with more info, hours, etc.

They are part of a bigger park, but definitely the highlight! They have a wonderful little platform to view the falls, take pictures, or just sit in awe of their grander. As you can see from the pictures, there are actually two parts to the falls, with the bottom being the biggest of course. We were there a couple of times during our trip and I was amazed at how quiet it was. I mean the falls were loud, but that was all you really heard, but it didn’t feel loud or overbearing. It was just beautiful and peaceful. Perfect actually.

Irrigation diversion of Snake River flows can significantly diminish water over the falls in the summer and fall, particularly during dry years. However, even without high water flows, the views at Shoshone Falls remain spectacular year-round. We were there in late May of 2014 and it was still running pretty well. Like I said earlier, we went a couple of times while in the area but the first time was late afternoon the first day we rolled into town. It was so pretty and quiet by the time we got there late that afternoon. We took a lot of pictures and walked around some of the trails they have. We saw several marmots while walking around which was cool as I had never seen one. Some people think they are ugly, but I thought they were really kinda cute. Each to their own I guess, lol Let me know what you think of them from the picture below.

Dierkes Lake

The other great thing about the park is Dierkes Lake Complex. It was the most peaceful lake I had been to in a long time. One night we went and grabbed some dinner and set out at the lake with the dogs. It was the most relaxed I had been in I don’t know how long. I think it was one of our best vacations. What I like about the area is that it also offers a unique blend of recreational facilities, including playgrounds and hiking trails, landscaped picnic areas, a boat ramp, and swimming area, and a scenic overlook. The complex also provides restroom facilities and visitor information. Not only that, but it also provides a perfect vantage point for viewing Shoshone Falls.

After we had dinner we walked around the lake and took some pictures. We also walked along the dock for a little while but the swaying scared the dogs, so we ended up back on the grounds to watch a game of Frisbee. The dogs got a lot of attention and loved every minute of it. I really wished we lived closer to Twin Falls because this would be our summer getaway every year. Then again, there are so many other places to see too, lol. One day we will be back again. I was really impressed with Twin Falls, and Idaho In general.

Centennial Waterfront Park

We did enjoy Dierks Lake a lot, but we also enjoyed part of an afternoon we spent at Centennial Waterfront Park. It is below the Perrine Bridge and it is beautiful and quiet. It is lovely sitting in the park and viewing the bridge above. While there we found out that they have the following activities and amenities:

• Backpacking
• Hiking
• Rock Climbing
• Walking
• Fishing
• Picnicking
• Boating
• Canoeing/Kayaking
• Motorized boat launch
• Non-motorized boat launch
• Natural trails
• Shelters with BBQ grills
• Guided boat tours
• 2 Reservable pavilions
  • R. Raymond
  • A. Bailey

The next time we go back to Twin Falls, I am definitely going to spend more time at the park. It is a great place for a quick picnic, an all-day event, or an outing. I highly suggest this park to anyone looking for a nice place to hang out for a while.

Balanced Rock

One day we took a short drive to see Balance Rock. It is south of Buhl in the Salmon Falls Creek Canyon. Standing over 48 feet tall and 40 tons, the wind-carved rock balances precariously on a pedestal only 3 feet by 17 inches. Until recently, Balanced Rock had a companion – a similar, but much smaller balanced rock named “Chip Off The Old Block”, which fell during the winter of 1975/1976. Balanced Rock Park is an excellent spot for a picnic and can be seen from the park’s main road. There is also a short loop trail leading around the base of the rock. We actually did have a picnic lunch there one day and compared it to the balanced rock at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO.

I hope you can see how much we enjoyed our time spent in Twin Falls.  It is wonderful and I can see why people are happy there and really don’t see the need to move anywhere. We met a lot of people who were born there and never plan on leaving. I can definitely think of worse places to live.  🙂 Here is a link to the website for the City of Twin Falls with more info on things to do in the city.