Best waterfalls in Idaho

Idaho’s headliner is Shoshone Falls, the "Niagara of the West," which actually out-drops Niagara when the Snake River runs high in spring. Beyond it lie the Henrys Fork’s Mesa Falls and hidden desert-canyon plunges. Spring snowmelt is the show; by late summer the big ones can slow to a trickle.

Shoshone Falls212 ftRoadside · Twin Fallsthe "Niagara of the West," taller than Niagara on the Snake River.Elk Creek Falls125 ftModerate hike · Elk River · 2.5 mia chain of falls in the forests of north-central Idaho.Upper Mesa Falls114 ftShort walk · Ashton · 0.5 mia thundering Henrys Fork fall with a boardwalk right at the brink.Lower Mesa Falls65 ftRoadside · Ashtona Henrys Fork fall seen from a scenic overlook.Fall Creek Falls (ID)60 ftRoadside · Swan Valleya wide fall pouring into the Snake River below Palisades Reservoir.Jump Creek Falls60 ftShort walk · Marsing · 0.5 mia desert-canyon fall in the Owyhees near the Oregon line.

Flows change with the season and recent rain — many falls roar at spring snowmelt and slow by late summer. Check conditions and any permit or reservation rules before you go.