Shoshone Falls – Kimberly, Idaho - Atlas Obscura
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Shoshone Falls

Kimberly, Idaho

These falls, sometimes called the "Niagara of the West," still put on a good show at the right time of year.  

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Shoshone Falls. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Shoshone Falls. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Snake River past falls amcampagna (Atlas Obscura User)
Shoshone Falls rainbow amcampagna (Atlas Obscura User)
Plaque at the park. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Shoshone Falls. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Top of the falls. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
The falls and the powerhouse. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Top of Shoshone Falls. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Telephoto view of the powerhouse. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Stairway down to the viewing platform. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
View downstream. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Small waterfall off the south cliff of the canyon. This is fed by runoff. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Looking downstream from the viewing area. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Looking downstream toward the falls. The visual edge is the top of the falls. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Docks on Dierkes Lake. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Inlet off Dierkes Lake. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Picnic area at Dierkes Lake, near the falls. slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
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 One of the largest waterfalls in the United States at some 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide, Shoshone Falls can be spectacular when the Snake River is running full. They’re located in the Snake River Canyon about three miles upstream from Twin Falls, Idaho, and form the centerpiece of Twin Falls city park. 

A fraction of the flow is diverted to a small hydropower plant (capacity a little less than 15 megawatts), which has minimal effect on the falls’ display. The major effect on the flow is upstream diversions for irrigation. Between these diversions and the dwindling of the river flow over the summer, the falls can be completely dry by late summer-early fall.

A viewing platform overlooks the falls, and there are also ADA-accessible views. Adjacent Dierkes Lake, also a city park, has picnicking, fishing, swimming (in the warm months), and a short hiking trail.

Know Before You Go

The best views are most likely to come during spring (pictures were taken in May), while the snowmelt is bolstering the flow and before irrigation diversions have started. Shoshone Falls is just east of Twin Falls and is easily reached from the city (see linked map). There is a $5 entrance fee.

electricity waterfalls nature
Nearby
Evel Knievel's Snake River Canyon Jump Site
1.28 miles
Twin Falls Waterfall
2.24 miles
I. B. Perrine Bridge
2.86 miles
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