Waterfalls in Idaho

Where the waterfalls are in Idaho

Idaho has two kinds of waterfall. On the Snake River Plain, the river and its tributaries drop over lava rock in wide, powerful falls; Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls is the best known. In the mountains to the north and east, streams tumble through forested canyons in steep, narrow falls.

Well-known waterfalls in Idaho

Shoshone Falls

A wide fall on the Snake River near Twin Falls, about 212 feet high, sometimes called the Niagara of the West. It runs fullest in spring. Falls near Shoshone Falls.

Mesa Falls

Upper and Lower Mesa Falls on the Henry's Fork of the Snake River in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, with a boardwalk at Upper Mesa. Falls near Mesa Falls.

Perrine Coulee Falls

A fall in the Snake River Canyon at Twin Falls with a path that runs behind the water. Falls near Perrine Coulee Falls.

When to go

Spring snowmelt, April to June. Snake River falls are also controlled by upstream irrigation diversions, so their flow can be low in summer. See the best time to see waterfalls for how flow changes by region.

Idaho by the numbers

The map shows 86 named falls in Idaho. 64 of them are in the USGS Geographic Names Information System, the federal register of official place names, and 22 more are named falls mapped only in OpenStreetMap. 4 have a height recorded by OpenStreetMap mappers, which is what the height filter above uses. Twin FallsCounty has the most, with 7.

Tallest recorded waterfalls in Idaho

Heights as recorded in OpenStreetMap, converted to feet. Guidebooks may list different figures, usually because they count every tier of a fall or only the biggest drop. Why heights differ.

Counties with the most waterfalls

From the USGS record, which gives each fall's county.

Every named waterfall in Idaho

Alphabetical within each county. Tap a name to centre the map above on it.

Adams County (3)

Bear Creek Falls, Lost Creek Falls, Wildhorse Falls

Boise County (5)

Baron Creek Falls, Big Falls, Fern Falls, Little Falls, Smith Falls

Bonner County (6)

Albeni Falls, Char Falls, Grouse Creek Falls, McAbee Falls, Mission Falls, Torrelle Falls

Bonneville County (1)

Fall Creek Falls

Boundary County (6)

Caribou Falls, Copper Falls, Moyie Falls, Smith Falls, Snow Creek Falls, Upper Priest Falls

Caribou County (1)

The Falls

Cassia County (1)

Phantom Falls

Clearwater County (2)

Bull Run Creek Falls, Elk Creek Falls

Custer County (4)

Bridal Veil Falls, Goat Falls, Lady Face Falls, Velvet Falls

Elmore County (2)

Crane Falls (historical), Deadman Falls

Fremont County (4)

Lower Mesa Falls, Sheep Falls, Sheep Falls, Upper Mesa Falls

Gooding County (2)

Devils Washboard Falls, Lower Salmon Falls

Idaho County (6)

Hazard Falls, Mallard Creek Falls, Patsy Ann Falls, Salmon Falls, Selway Falls, Shoestring Falls

Jerome County (1)

Twin Falls

Lemhi County (3)

Devlin Falls, Napias Creek Falls, Tappan Falls

Lincoln County (2)

Big Drops, Little Drops

Owyhee County (3)

Camel Falls, Jump Creek Falls, The Falls

Shoshone County (3)

Fern Falls, Rambiker Falls, Shadow Falls

Twin Falls County (7)

Auger Falls, Perrine Coulee Falls (233 ft), Pillar Falls, Ross Falls, Salmon Falls, Shoshone Falls (212 ft), Upper Salmon Falls

Valley County (1)

Dagger Falls

Washington County (1)

Rush Falls

County not recorded (22)

American Falls, Castle Grayskull, Devil's washbowl waterfall, Driessen Falls, Golden Creek Falls, Grandjean Creek Waterfall, Hunt Falls, Idaho Falls, Jarbidge Falls, Jump Falls, Lemmon Falls, Lower Elk Creek Falls, Mesa Falls (115 ft), Middle Elk Creek Falls, Minnie Miller Falls, Myrtle Falls, Nugget Creek Falls, Owyhee Falls, Palisades Waterfall, Post Falls (49 ft), Upper Elk Creek Falls, Veil Falls

Before you go

The map shows where falls are, not whether they are open or safe to reach. Check the land manager, usually a state park or national forest, for closures, fees and permits, and stay on the trail near the water. Our waterfall safety guide covers the hazards, and waterfall hikes near me explains how to pick a trail.

Waterfalls near cities in Idaho

Every named fall within driving range of the city, nearest first: waterfalls near Boise.

Waterfalls in nearby states: Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, Washington. Or see waterfalls in every state.