Compare 31 Idaho waterfall visits by the approach, terrain, and where to start. Some routes have closures or unresolved details; read the individual guide before travelling.
31 visit options
Published route with mileages from a USFS trailhead
Idaho
About 6.6 miles return
From Iron Creek Trailhead, follow the trail through forest along Iron Creek. At 1.1 miles you enter the Sawtooth Wilderness; turn left at the marked junction onto the Alpine Way Trail across Iron Creek. Take the right path at the 2.9-mile junction and follow the hillside to Goat Falls at 3.3 miles. A 100-foot side path gives the best view.
City riverside viewpoint; parking location not confirmed
Idaho
Paved riverside walk; distance depends on where you park
The falls run beside the paved Greenbelt in downtown Idaho Falls. Walk the Greenbelt along the river and cross the Broadway Bridge to the west bank for a view of the full length of the falls.
Idaho
About 0.25 mile to the falls
Follow the short creek trail from Jump Creek recreation area to the waterfall. The BLM also identifies a separate dry route to the falls overlook.
Partial guide: Ritter Island closed for the season; path described only by a photo-spot page
Idaho
Short walk; distance not published
Lemmon Falls (also spelled Lemon Falls) is spring water from the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer flowing down basalt walls at Ritter Island, a unit of Thousand Springs State Park. A Locationscout photo-spot page says to park at the Ritter Island parking lot before the bridge and follow the dirt path to the base of the falls.
Established trail to Lower Falls viewpoint; no fee; steep descent
Idaho
About 2.25 miles one way to the Lower Falls viewpoint by the source's segment figures
Lower Elk Creek Falls, about 50 feet, is the lowest of three falls in the Elk Creek Falls National Recreation Area near Elk River. From the trailhead, hike Trail #740 about a mile to a signed Y, go right and descend about 1.25 miles on a semi-steep trail to a viewpoint structure. Return up to the sign; Trail #742 continues to the Middle and Upper Falls.
Closed for construction under the September 16, 2026 USFS notice; no open approach verified.
Idaho
Closed; no current walking itinerary
Lower Mesa Falls is closed with Upper Mesa Falls while construction continues. Completed parking resurfacing does not mean the visitor site has reopened.
Construction closure; reopening unconfirmed
Idaho
Do not enter closed recreation areas
The Forest Service confirms temporary closure of both Upper and Lower Mesa Falls during construction. Trail paving has disrupted surfaces, and entering restricted areas on foot is also prohibited. No subsequent reopening was established in this review.
National Recreation Trail with viewpoint spur; signed turnoff from Highway 8
Idaho
About 0.3 mile each way to the Middle Falls
Elk Creek Falls Recreation Area is in the Clearwater National Forest near Elk River. From the parking area, take Trail #740 to the information sign, look for Trail #742 and turn right (northwest) onto a spur to the Middle Falls viewpoint. The Middle Falls drop about 70 feet through a basalt gorge. Lower and Upper Falls are on connected trails. Keep children well back from the edges.
Roadside parking; short unofficial trail behind the falls
Idaho
A few minutes each way
Perrine Coulee Falls drops about 200 feet beside Canyon Springs Road as it descends into the Snake River Canyon toward Centennial Waterfront Park in Twin Falls. From the roadside parking, walk down to the curve, go through the concrete barriers and follow a short rocky unofficial trail to behind the falls.
Rim views documented; walking start unverified
Idaho
Distance not verified
Rim views are documented, but a parking-to-viewpoint walking route is not established. Tourism describes access to the falls themselves by boat or kayak.
Park loop route documented; hours and fees not confirmed
Idaho
0.4-mile loop
Start at the Falls Park parking area in Post Falls and walk the paved Overlook Trail loop. It passes viewing areas over the Spokane River, the falls and Post Falls Dam, and returns to parking.
Verified park parking and viewing-platform approach
Idaho
75 feet one way from the closest parking space
Drive to Shoshone Falls Park and walk from the park parking to the main viewing platform. Optional canyon-rim viewpoints extend the visit.
Published short trail route to the upper drop
Idaho
About 0.4 miles each way
From the Elk Creek Falls trailhead parking, walk the first, mostly flat quarter mile to the fork. Go left to reach the Upper Falls first. A short spur leads to the creek below the 20-foot Upper Falls. Middle and Lower Falls are further along the trail system.
Official trail to the falls; remote gravel road; steep section near falls
Idaho
About 2.1 miles each way (4.2 miles return)
The official name is Upper Priest Falls; it is commonly called American Falls. The Forest Service says Continental Creek Trail #28 switchbacks down from Road #1013 through old-growth cedar to the river bottom and follows a fork of the Upper Priest River to the falls near the Canadian border. Hiking Project describes reaching a junction on the valley floor; go right (north), cross Malcom Creek on a bridge and follow the river for the last half mile to the 40-foot falls. Trail numbers for this last stretch differ between sources: the Forest Service says Trail #308 ends at that junction and Trail #28 continues to the falls, while Hiking Project calls it Trail #308. Return the same way, climbing about 1,000 feet.
Location map; no photo available.
City park route and parking documented; distance basis not stated
Idaho
About 2 miles to the falls (published figure; one way or return not stated)
Auger Falls is a 30-foot drop in the Snake River in the City of Twin Falls' 680-acre Auger Falls Heritage Park. From the trailhead lot, follow the main gravel path down the canyon past Broken Bridge, about a mile in. About 10 minutes later, side trails lead toward the river and the falls.
Location map; no photo available.
Partial guide: exact distance to the falls view and trailhead details unconfirmed
Idaho
Long day or overnight; exact distance to the falls view not stated
Baron Creek Falls cascades down a sheer granite face at the head of Baron Creek canyon in the Sawtooth Wilderness. From the Grandjean Trailhead the route follows the South Fork Payette River trail, then turns up Baron Creek past the North Fork junction to a steep, rough climb beneath Mount Ebert with a view of the falls. The Baron Lakes lie above.
Location map; no photo available.
Published trail route; final unmarked path not described in detail
Idaho
7.4 miles return
From Stanley Lake Trailhead, the Sawtooth Association route passes Lady Face Falls, which is a short walk off the maintained trail. The final approach to Bridal Veil Falls is an unmarked path that crosses the creek again. The source does not describe that unmarked path in detail.
Location map; no photo available.
Location and road directions; waterfall approach unknown
Idaho
Approach distance unknown
USFS gives road directions to the Dagger Falls campground. Rob Greenfield’s firsthand Idaho Magazine account confirms a viewing platform, but the public parking-to-platform connection remains unverified.
Location map; no photo available.
State park footbridge viewpoint; vehicle entry fee
Idaho
Short walk; distance not published
Take the I-84 Tuttle exit to the Malad Gorge unit of Thousand Springs State Park. From the parking area, walk to the footbridge that crosses the gorge above the Devil's Washbowl and view the 60-foot falls from above. An overlook across the road from the parking area also views the canyon.
Location map; no photo available.
Idaho
About 20 yards one-way from the sign
View Fall Creek dropping into the Snake River.
Location map; no photo available.
Partial guide: distance to the falls not confirmed; older trip report only
Idaho
Long out-and-back on the South Fork Payette River Trail; distance to the falls not confirmed
Fern Falls is on the South Fork Payette River trail in the Sawtooth Wilderness. A June backpacking trip report from the Grandjean Trailhead shows Fern Falls along the gently rising river trail. The source does not give its distance from the trailhead.
Location map; no photo available.
Partial guide: roadside parking and path from user listings only
Idaho
Very short walk; distance not published
Komoot user listings place Grandjean Creek Waterfall at this location, with a trailhead just south of it near Grandjean, off Highway 21 between Lowman and Stanley. A very short hike leads to the falls. No official Forest Service description of this specific waterfall was found.
Location map; no photo available.
Short walk on state land road; careful at viewpoints
Idaho
Short road walk, about 0.1 to 0.3 mile one way
Hunt Creek Falls is a segmented falls of about 60 feet on Idaho Department of Lands land off Priest Lake's East Shore Road north of Coolin. About 3.4 miles north of the Cavanaugh Bay airstrip, take an uphill dirt road on the right (east). Bear left at the junction, drive as far as you can, park, and walk the same road to the falls.
Location map; no photo available.
Parking documented; clear waterfall view from the upper path uncertain
Idaho
5 miles return
The maintained Stanley Lake trail connects to a narrow Lady Face Falls side path. Visit Idaho describes partial views from above, but a firsthand report published in March 2026 found the named falls obscured from the rim. A clear waterfall view is not guaranteed.
Location map; no photo available.
Outside the published island season
Idaho
0.323 miles one-way from the park entrance
When the island is open, pass the dairy barn and keep right on the gravel road to the falls view.
Location map; no photo available.
Partial guide: undated directions; bridge, junctions and land status not confirmed
Idaho
About 1.8 miles each way (derived from published segments)
Inland Northwest Routes places Mission Falls, a 5 to 10 foot drop on the Upper West Branch Priest River, in the Priest Lake Ranger District, Idaho Panhandle National Forest, about 19 miles north of Priest River on Scenic Route 57. Park across the river on the northeast side of the bridge, walk the jeep trail 0.2 mile to a junction, take the right fork for 1.5 miles, turning right at all later junctions, then follow a well-used trail a few hundred yards to the falls.
Location map; no photo available.
Idaho
0.9 miles return
Cross Myrtle Creek and climb switchbacks to the guarded overlook.
Location map; no photo available.
Official trail passes the falls; distance to falls not published
Idaho
Under 6.1 miles each way; exact distance to the falls not published
The Forest Service says St. Joe Lake Trail #49 follows the upper St. Joe Wild and Scenic River and passes Rambikur Falls, named for a Forest Service employee at Red Ives Ranger Station. It calls the trail among the easiest in the area. Return the same way. The trailhead is a long drive on a narrow primitive road.
Location map; no photo available.
Approach or parking partly unconfirmed
Idaho
Waterfall viewing walk unconfirmed
Visit Idaho describes following FR 223 from Lowell: seven paved miles to O’Hara Campground, then 11 more miles on dirt road to Selway Falls. The article does not establish a pedestrian viewing route.
Location map; no photo available.
Partial guide: total distance from the trailhead not confirmed
Idaho
Multi-day backpacking distance; 2.3 miles beyond Elk Lake
Smith Falls pours over a glacially polished slab in the upper South Fork Payette canyon of the Sawtooth Wilderness, with swimming holes at its base. From Grandjean, Trail #452 follows the river south past Big Meadows and Elk Lake. Above Elk Lake the main canyon continues 2.3 miles to the falls.
Location map; no photo available.
Idaho
1.7 miles return
Forest trail branches to upper and lower viewing platforms.
Location map; no photo available.