This City in Southern Idaho is an Adventure-Lover’s Dream
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Massive thundering waterfalls, deep river canyons, and beautifully walkable downtown — welcome to Twin Falls, Idaho, a small city located on the southern rim of the Snake River Canyon.
Whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or into more mellow adventures, Twin Falls makes the perfect destination for a recreation-based getaway!
Twin Falls is the regional commercial hub of south-central Idaho and a wildly popular destination for outdoor lovers.
The city gets its name from the massive waterfalls on the Snake River. Twin Falls is actually a bit of a misnomer because there are actually more than 30 waterfalls within the city limits of Twin Falls, but Thirty Falls just doesn’t have the same pleasant ring to it.
The 50-mile-long Snake River Canyon is responsible for many of the awesome recreational activities available in Twin Falls. You can easily hike or bike on the Snake River Canyon Rim Trail from downtown, and there are both trails and roads that travel down into the canyon.
Whether you want far-reaching views or exhilarating climbs, you don’t have to travel far from Twin Falls to find them.
10 Fun Things to Do in Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is a city that was meant for outdoor lovers, whether you like to stroll arm-in-arm through the park with the one you love, hike a rugged and exhilarating trail, rent bikes and ride along the canyon rim, or kayak the Snake River.
Explore Shoshone Falls
What do you know about Shoshone Falls? Have you already heard that it’s called the Niagara of the West? That it’s a mind-blowing 212 feet tall (by the way, that’s 45 feet taller than Niagara Falls), that it’s been a tourist attraction since the 1860s?
Yeah, it’s all of that and worth a visit, even in the summer when the water levels are substantially lower than the thundering cascades you’ll see in the spring (the photo above is from a summer visit) during a really hot spell.
Shoshone Falls Park is beautiful, with manicured lawns, shady picnic areas, and viewing platforms from high above the falls.
Be on the lookout for yellow-bellied marmots, the world’s cutest rodents, and don’t forget your camera to capture your view of the falls.
The road to Shoshone Falls twists and turns, offering gorgeous views as you approach the canyon.
Between March 1st and September 30th, you will have to pay a $5 parking fee to enter Shoshone Falls Park. This gives you access to the picnic areas, restrooms, viewing platforms, and Dierkes Lake, which we’ll talk about next.
Insider tip: Did you bring your bike to Twin Falls? You can ride on the Canyon Rim Trail from the Twin Falls Visitor Center all the way to Shoshone Falls (it’s about four miles one-way). The trail is traffic-free, and the views don’t stop for the whole ride! More on biking the Canyon Rim Trail below.
Swim, Hike, or Paddle at Dierkes Lake Near Shoshone Falls
You’ve ooohed and awwed over Shoshone Falls, taken some amazing photos, and maybe even enjoyed a picnic on the lawn.
Before you pack up and head back into town, be sure to check out Dierkes Lake! This beautiful lake has a lifeguarded swimming area (June to August), a playground, picnic tables, and an easy hiking trail with secret swimming spots.
The Dierkes Lake Trail is an easy 1.7-mile loop with some stairs and moderate elevation gain.
Bring along your swimsuit and towel because you won’t be able to resist the lure of the water on a hot summer day, especially if you like cliff jumping.
If you have kayaks with you, Dierkes Lake is also a great spot for an early morning paddle.
Kayak to Pillar Falls on the Snake River with AWOL of Twin Falls
The Snake River between Centennial Park and Pillar Falls is an easy upstream paddle that can be completed in under four hours, with extra time for exploring.
Start by reserving a solo or tandem kayak from AWOL Adventure Sports in Centennial Waterfront Park($20 for 2 hours, $30 for 4 hours, or $40 for 6 hours). All rentals come with a paddle and life jacket. Bring your own sense of adventure!
The four-hour trip is perfect for those wanting to see and explore Pillar Falls. If you want to portage around Pillar Falls and continue to Shoshone Falls, you will probably want the six-hour rental.
For both paddling and swimming, this is truly one of the best things to do in Twin Falls.
See Shoshone Falls from the Water! You can take an eight-hour excursion via boat and kayak to Shoshone Falls with AWOL Adventure Sports. The first portion of the tour, from Centennial Park to Pillar Falls, is on a Pontoon Boat. From Pillar Falls, you take a guided kayak trip four miles upriver to see Shoshone Falls.
This trip is only available between June and August and only from Friday to Sunday. If you are fortunate enough to be in Twin Falls on a summer weekend, you should check it out!
Walk Behind Perrine Coulee Falls
It’s easy to understand why paddling and hiking to awesome waterfalls is one of the best things to do in Twin Falls!
We’ve got another waterfall experience to share with you, and it’s an easy one, too! On your way to or from Centennial Park from Twin Falls on Canyon Creek Road, you will round a bend and find a small on-street parking area for Perrine Coulee Falls.
If you do this little side trip early in the morning or late in the evening, you should have plenty of room to park, but you might have trouble in the middle of the day (location on Google Maps).
Once you park your car, it’s a short hike to Perrine Coulee Falls. This narrow, year-round waterfall drops almost 200 feet into a small stream on its journey toward the Snake River.
Because it is cascading off the rim of the Snake River Canyon above, there is room for the trail to hug the canyon wall behind Perrine Coulee Falls. Yes, you’ll get a little bit wet, which will feel so good on a hot summer morning as you walk behind the falls.
You can continue on the trail all the way to the bottom of the canyon, but we chose to return to our car after viewing the falls.
Hike the Auger Falls Park Loop
If you’re looking for easy Twin Falls hiking trails, definitely check out the loop to Auger Falls.
This four-mile loop is relatively flat and great for hiking, trail running, or mountain biking. In fact, there are dedicated mountain bike trails in the park, and there were times when we got off our planned route and ended up on the bike trails.
We used Alltrails+ to stay on course, and since you’re in the canyon between the Snake River and the canyon wall, you can’t really get lost.
The Auger Falls loop meanders through an old homestead site called the Urie Homestead. The Urie family lived here from 1915 to 1948.
You can still see remnants of the homestead, including the foundation of the farmhouse. It’s a lovely, quiet trail with great views of the Snake River, Auger Falls, and some other beautiful waterfalls that cascade from the canyon wall in the distance.
Rent Bikes to Ride along the Canyon Rim Trail
The Snake River Canyon Rim Trail is an exhilarating and gorgeous spot to spend an afternoon in Twin Falls.
You can walk it, of course, but it’s even more fun to rent a bike from Pertt’s Bike Rental in Twin Falls and feel the wind in your hair as you coast along on the edge of the canyon with views in every direction.
Pertt’s Bike Rental is a mobile bike rental service that will bring your bike rental to you at several locations throughout Twin Falls, even your hotel!
You can easily book your rental online — choose from a mountain bike or a comfort bike, request a time, and choose your drop-off location. Your bike will be waiting for you at your requested time and location. You can also reserve a helmet and lock to complete your rental. Traveling with kids? Pertt’s also rents bike trailers for young riders.
The most convenient way to rent bikes and explore the Canyon Rim Trail is to have your bikes delivered to the Twin Falls Visitor Center. From there, you can ride all the way to Shoshone Falls and Dierkes Lake, about four miles from the Visitor Center.
There are picnic tables and benches along the paved pathway, so pack a lunch to go with those beautiful vistas.
Be sure to stop at the Evel Knievel jump site (just 1/8-mile from the bike path). This is the spot where the world-famous daredevil tried to jump across the Snake River Canyon on his motorcycle in 1974. The earthen ramp is all that is left of an event that drew thousands of spectators and was televised around the world. While Evel Knievel didn’t actually make it over the canyon, the event lives on as part of Twin Falls’s history.
Here’s a Canyon Rim Trail Map to help you plan your two-wheeled adventure.
Watch the Sunset from the Twin Falls Visitor Center
The Twin Falls Visitor Center should be your first stop in Twin Falls.
Not only will you find all kinds of great information about the history, economy, tourist attractions, and natural resources around Twin Falls, but you won’t find a better spot to watch the sun sink behind the walls of the Snake River Canyon.
Browse the gift shop inside because they’ve got a bunch of Idaho gifts that you can bring home to your relatives and your dog sitter. Relax on the grassy lawn after your long day of exploring.
The Visitor Center is also the perfect starting point for exploring the Canyon Rim Trail by foot or by bicycle. If you are renting a bike from Pertt’s, you can coincide your rental return with the sunset at the Visitor Center. Clever, huh?
If you want to explore the Twin Falls Visitor Center when it is open, be sure to check it out between 8 am and 5 pm. The views are open 24/7.
Watch the BASE Jumpers from Perrine Bridge
Since you’re already at the Twin Falls Visitor Center, be on the lookout for the crazy BASE jumpers who risk their lives for a jolt of adrenaline that comes from jumping off the Perrine Bridge.
BASE stands for the things jumpers leap off using parachutes or wingsuits: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), and earth.
The Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls is the only bridge in the United States where you can BASE jump legally without a permit year-round. It’s a popular spot for jumping and is known all over the world. The bridge is 486 feet above the floor of the canyon, and if you watch long enough, you are bound to see someone jump.
To watch the BASE jumpers, park at the Twin Falls Visitor Center and head to the viewing platform on the east side of the Perrine Bridge. We also saw people jumping when we were kayaking below the bridge (see photo above).
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Tara Schatz is a freelance writer and travel blogger with a passion for outdoor adventures. She is the co-author of AMC’s Best Day Hikes in Vermont and currently blogs at Back Road Ramblers and Vermont Explored, where she shares travel tips, adventure destinations, and vacation ideas for the wanderer in everyone.
