Shoshone Falls

Since the weather is FINALLY getting nicer here in BOI, we decided it was time to put the cell phones down, turn the TV off, and get the girlies (and ourselves) out in this beautiful state of ours. I have all sorts of places on this list- but the first place we chose to go was Shoshone Falls, down in Twin Falls.

Rachel is the only one of us who had ever been, so it was a nice new experience for most of us. :)

via wikipedia:

Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River in southern Idaho, United States, located approximately 3 miles northeast of the city of Twin Falls. Sometimes called the "Niagara of the West," Shoshone Falls is 212 feet (65 m) high—45 feet (14 m) higher than Niagara Falls—and flows over a rim nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) wide.

Formed by catastrophic outburst flooding during the Pleistocene ice age about 14,000 years ago, Shoshone Falls marks the historical upper limit of fish migration (including salmon) in the Snake River, and was an important fishing and trading place for Native Americans. The falls were documented by Europeans as early as the 1840s; despite the isolated location, it became a tourist attraction starting in the 1860s. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Snake River was controversially diverted for irrigation of the Magic Valley, with the result that the falls no longer flow with force year-round. However, irrigation and hydroelectric power stations built on the falls were the primary contributors to early economic development in southern Idaho.

A park overlooking the waterfall is owned and operated by the City of Twin Falls. Shoshone Falls is best viewed in the spring, as diversion of the Snake River often significantly diminishes water levels in the late summer and fall. The flow over the falls ranges from over 20,000 cubic feet per second (570 m³/s) during late spring of wet years, to a minimum "scenic flow" (dam release) of 300 cubic feet per second (8.5 m³/s) in dry years.

On the road.......

 

Picnic time!