Idaho's Natural Wonders Are Calling With Waterfalls, Canyons, And Breathtaking Trails

Waterfalls that dwarf even mighty Niagara, canyons that carve deeper than any other of their kind in North America, and hiking that will blow your socks off are just a few of the things that await in Idaho. Sounds strange, eh? This under-the-radar state gets only a fraction of the footfall of, say, California, which draws at least 260 million visitors each year (compared to Idaho's 37 million). Peer at the natural wonders that abound in the territory, and you'll hardly believe it's not ultra famous.

Just check out the geography of this corner of the USA. Idaho bridges the gap between two chains of the Rocky Mountains and the vast plains of the Great Basin. It's crumpled up by mountains that soar to over 12,600 feet, but it also has uber-remote deserts that are scored by peaks and peppered with old mining outposts. And that's not even mentioning the fact that Idaho has a gateway to Yellowstone and the Tetons up its sleeve!

Read on for a deep dive into some of the most alluring natural wonders of the Gem State. It crosses colossal river gorges, gets a-rumbling with some whitewater rafting, delves into lava caves, and boasts roaring waterfalls the likes of which you won't see anywhere else in the West. 

If there's one natural wonder in the great state of Idaho that you simply should not miss, it's Shoshone Falls. The stats don't lie: Over 200 feet tall, nearly 1,000 feet wide, and taller than legendary Niagara Falls of New York State. What more needs to be said? It's hardly a surprise that this rushing cascade is firmly placed at number one on Tripadvisor for the whole of the Gem State!

Indeed, one Tripadvisor reviewer summed up the sheer drama of the place: "We just visited Shoshone Falls and loved the power of the falls. Standing over 200 feet tall, the falls are truly awe-inspiring. The road down is very narrow, but the stunning views make it worth the trip."

Let's talk about those views for just a moment. The water crashes over a big bluff in the middle of the Snake River Canyon just outside the town of Twin Falls. During the spring — the best time to feel the full force of the waterfall here — viewers will be greeted by huge flows that create ethereal plumes of mist and almost-constant rainbows. It's nothing short of epic.

Idaho has a little slice of Mars, did you know? It sits in the midst of the vast Snake River Plain in the south of the state, unfolding in a patchwork of otherworldly lava fields, volcanic fumaroles, and black-tinged rock. Yep, Craters of the Moon National Monument is enough to make you feel like you're on another planet, which is precisely why it's been used as a training location for astronauts for more than half a century!

The route to the aptly named Inferno Cone is hailed as one of the best hikes in the reserve. It's not long — under half a mile — but it is straight up, going to a lookout point where complete panoramas of the park erupt in multi-colored layers of rock and lava-blasted forests.

More amazement awaits underground at the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, thanks to a duo of lava-forged cave tunnels. They're only open seasonally, but they offer a chance to stand inside what was once a bona fide magma flow. Visitors looking to go into the caves must get a free cave permit.

The deepest river gorge on the continent carves a huge cleft out of the ground as it unwinds down the Oregon-Idaho border at the far western edge of the state. This is a jaw-dropping location. You can stand on the rim and peer nearly 8,000 feet down to the gushing Snake River below at some points. 

That gushing Snake River has elevated this location to one of the most celebrated whitewater rafting spots in the region. Most of it consists of long, beautiful sections of rafting that offer views of steep canyon walls without too many challenging rapids to get through.

The gorge itself is encompassed by the 652,000-acre-plus Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, a two-territory reserve that spills into the highlands of the Beaver State, where it stretches to high ridges covered in pine woods. In the Idaho part of the park, you'll find the incredible alpine wonderland of the Seven Devils Mountains, a hiking mecca where countless lakes are knitted together by wildflower meadows and slopes stalked by goats.

Whoever said that California and the Pacific Northwest had a monopoly on the big trees? While the Golden State might lay claim to the fabled Redwood National Park with the world's tallest species, Idaho has its own answer to the giants of the forest. Cue the Devoto Grove. It sits along the winding courses of Highway 12, a scenic byway, as it snakes northeast from Kooskia to the Montana border.

They say there are trees here that are more than two millennia old. Park up on the side of the highway and delve in. There are two marked walking loops  through the woods, weaving under giant red cedar trees, and offering up views of the Lochsa River along the way. Choose the trail south of the highway if you want something accessible.

The Devoto Memorial Cedar Grove is just one little corner of the greater Clearwater National Forest, which spreads to a monstrous 1.8 million acres in total. Some of it was once crossed by the legendary Lewis and Clark Expedition. Today, it's a particular haven for backpacking, with routes that go 20 miles or more into the peaks and forests.

Millions of acres of totally untamed American backcountry await amid the lush Idaho mountains of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness Area. But they don't call it that here; they call it just "The Frank". It's truly massive. In fact, it's part of the most massive linked-up area of designated wilderness in the contiguous states. Only Alaska has tracts that can match it.

Butting up to the Montana border on one side, the preserve stretches westwards along the canyons carved by the Salmon River, and across mountain ranges that reach summits over 10,000 feet above sea level. Naturally, adventures abound within.

Boaters, rafters, and kayakers will come here to be totally alone as they cruise long sections of the Middle Fork River through sheer-cut gorges like Impassable Canyon. Backpackers can enjoy long, multi-day treks through wildflower areas, along riverways, and up exposed ridges where basically no one else goes.