Shoshone Falls – Essential Guide to Seeing the Niagra of the West in Twin Falls, Idaho

With its towering height of 212 feet and massive width of 900feet, Shoshone Falls is also known as the “Niagra of the West” and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Idaho itself. Believe it or not, Shoshone Falls is actually taller than Niagra Falls! This is a must-see if you’re ever in the Twin Falls / Magic Valley area of Southern Idaho.

I’ve been to Shoshone Falls twice – once at sunset and once during the day. No matter what time of day, Shoshone Falls is always worth a visit!

Quick Overview and Amenities – Shoshone Falls

Cost: $5 per car but the toll booth is not always manned. When we arrived at sunset, there was no one collecting fees.
Hours: 8am – 10pm daily
Small gift shop available
Restrooms available
Lots of picnic tables

Where is Shoshone Falls

Shoshone Falls is located inside of Shoshone Falls Park, which is on the outskirts of Twin Falls, Idaho.

Shoshone Falls is about 2 hours east of Boise, Idaho.

Visiting Shoshone Falls

One very important thing to keep in mind when visiting Shoshone Falls is the water flow of that falls is regulated by the hydroelectric plants at the top of the falls. Depending on the agricultural and power needs of the local area, the Snake River water can be diverted away from the falls to meet these needs.

In other words, you may come here to find that the water flow is down to a trickle – or if you’re really unlucky, you may not see any water flowing at all!

The water flow can change on a dime, too. You could come here in the morning and find the falls empty, but come back in the afternoon to see them flowing at 100%.

Your best chance at seeing the falls fully flowing is during spring, but even that isn’t guaranteed.

When you arrive at the entrance station, you’ll see a sign that will tell you what the water flow is – so if it’s very low, you still have the option to turn around and not pay the fee.

Each time I’ve visited, I’ve been lucky in that the waterflow was high. I visited in both June and July.

Finding parking was very easy, even when we were here during a very busy day in July. The parking lot is huge.

After you’ve parked your car, you can head out to the viewing platforms to see the falls. There is a large network of stairs and platforms from which to view Shoshone Falls, so you can capture it at different angles if you wish.

There’s also a few walking trails here, if you have extra time. Kayaking is another option – if you look closely at the water near the base of the falls, you may see some people kayaking!

Other things to see in Twin Falls

Shoshone Falls is the main attraction here, but two other spots come to mind that you might want to check out while you’re here

Evel Knievel Jump Site

Back in 1974, that famous, batshit crazy darevil himself, Evel Knievel, once attempted to jump across the Snake River Canyon on his bike. You can see that exact site only 12 minutes away from Shoshone Falls. (Spoiler alert: He didn’t make it across; his parachute malfunctioned right after he took off, and he safely landed on a boat ramp.) Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to visit this site yet.

Perrine Memorial Bridge

This is a really cool bridge that spans the Snake River Canyon below, and connects the towns of Twin Falls and Jerome, Idaho. When you’re coming/going to Shoshone Falls, you may find yourself driving over it. There are pullouts on each side of the bridge, if you want to check it out and snap a few pictures. I haven’t done this myself yet though.

Where to stay when visiting Shoshone Falls

Twin Falls, Idaho has plenty of accommodations for any budget. During my visits here, I’ve always been en route to somewhere else, so I don’t have any personal recommendations in this area.

But, if you are going to stay in Twin Falls, you can check out the current availability and prices here for hotels in the area.

As I mentioned, I’ve visited Shoshone Falls en route to other places on a road trip. I’ve personally stayed in Boise, Idaho and Ketchum, Idaho (Ketchum is typically a very pricey town in which to stay). These are the places I’ve stayed when visiting Shoshone Falls – I’ve had a good experience at all of them and I would recommend any of these.

Boise
La Quinta – Boise Town Square
Towneplace Suites – Boise
Holiday Inn Express – Boise
Springhill Suites – Boise Park Center
Fairfield Inn – Boise Airport

Or, check all hotel prices in Boise, Idaho

Ketchum
Best Western Tyrolean Lodge

Check all hotel prices in Ketchum, Idaho

Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho – Final Thoughts

Pros:

• Absolutely amazing waterfall and worth the time to see it.
• Tons of parking
• Lots of viewing platforms to see the falls.

Cons:

• The water flow on the falls depends on local agricultural needs and can change quickly.
• If you’re making a special detour to see Shoshone Falls, there’s always the chance you might see it with low water flow. Or no water flow. Especially in late summer/fall.