Snake River Canyon and Magic Valley
16 waterfalls · Twin Falls County, Jerome County, Gooding County, Lincoln County, Owyhee County, and Cassia County
Around the city of Twin Falls, the Snake River runs through a sheer basalt canyon, and the waterfalls here are as much about rock as water. Shoshone Falls is the headline, a wide horseshoe of cascades, with Twin Falls and Pillar Falls nearby on the same stretch of river. Perrine Coulee Falls drops over the canyon rim in a single long plunge. In Gooding County, spring water emerging from the canyon walls feeds smaller falls. To the west, Jump Creek Falls in Owyhee County sits at the end of a short narrow canyon in volcanic cliffs, an oasis in sagebrush country.
Start with: Shoshone Falls, Jump Creek Falls, Twin Falls, Perrine Coulee Falls, Pillar Falls
Henrys Fork and Eastern Idaho
6 waterfalls · Fremont County, Bonneville County, and Caribou County
On the western edge of the Yellowstone region, the Henrys Fork of the Snake flows off a high volcanic plateau and over two major drops. Upper Mesa Falls has a viewing platform close to the brink, and Lower Mesa Falls is seen from an overlook downstream, both along a scenic byway through lodgepole pine forest. South of Idaho Falls, Fall Creek Falls in Bonneville County spills over travertine ledges directly into the Snake River in Swan Valley. Caribou County, in the mountains of the southeast, rounds out this region. Snow lingers at these elevations, and access roads can be closed or unplowed in winter.
Start with: Upper Mesa Falls, Fall Creek Falls, Lower Mesa Falls, Sheep Falls, Sheep Falls
Central Idaho Mountains
27 waterfalls · Idaho County, Boise County, Adams County, Custer County, Lemhi County, Elmore County, Valley County, and Washington County
This is Idaho's wild interior, a sprawling granite highland broken by some of the deepest canyons in the country. Falls here range from roadside drops near Idaho City and Cascade to remote cascades in the Sawtooth and Salmon River country around Challis and Salmon. Idaho County holds the most, including Selway Falls, a powerful series of drops on the Selway River. Many falls in this region lie in national forest and wilderness, reached by long gravel roads or backcountry trails. The landscape rewards travelers who are comfortable with remote driving, limited services and changeable mountain weather.
Start with: Selway Falls, Deadman Falls, Dagger Falls, Big Falls, Lady Face Falls
North Idaho Panhandle
17 waterfalls · Boundary County, Bonner County, Shoshone County, and Clearwater County
The Panhandle is Idaho's wettest region, with cedar and hemlock forest that feels closer to the Pacific Northwest than to the Rockies. Glaciers scoured these valleys, leaving steep side drainages where creeks plunge toward the Kootenai River and Lake Pend Oreille. Near Bonners Ferry, Snow Creek Falls and Copper Falls are reached by short forest trails, while Bonner County falls lie around Priest River. Farther south, Fern Falls sits in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains of Shoshone County, and Elk Creek Falls in Clearwater County is a series of drops in a rugged canyon. Moss, ferns and mist define the character here.
Start with: Snow Creek Falls, Fern Falls, Elk Creek Falls, Copper Falls, Grouse Creek Falls
