Southern Idaho’s Snake River Canyon hides a lot of beautiful places off the beaten path — maybe some places that Santa can’t even find.
OK, he probably knows about them. Even so, why not discover a few of them on a day trip during the holidays?
Out-of-town guests will be in awe of places like Malad Gorge, the Perrine Bridge, Shoshone Falls, the quaint town of Hagerman with the Thousand Springs along the Snake River, and Bruneau Dunes.
A day trip can be put together pretty easily from the Treasure Valley, and you’ll be traveling on good roads.
Follow along on a trip I took with relatives the day after Thanksgiving. (Note: Check the weather and road conditions. Don’t set out in a blizzard or ice storm.)
LOGISTICS
• Plan for a long day. We started out about 8:30 a.m. and got back home at about 7:30 p.m. on the 300-mile round trip.
• We packed a lunch and snacks, which we had at Shoshone Falls, outside of Twin Falls. We ate dinner at the Snake River Grill in Hagerman. I had my usual: catfish fillets, wild rice, veggies and a salad. Delicious.
• Don’t forget an Idaho road map.
ON THE WAY
• Head out Interstate 84 east toward Twin Falls.
• Keep an eye out for pronghorns between Boise and Mountain Home. One of the hotspots to see a herd is at Milepost 87, just west of Mountain Home on the north side of the interstate.
• It can be really windy in the area between Mountain Home and Hammett. (I guess that’s why there are a whole bunch of wind turbines out there. Look on the north side of the freeway toward Bennett Mountain.)
• This stretch of freeway is known for slide-offs. It can get pretty slick in the winter so be careful.
MALAD GORGE
• At about 90 miles east of Boise at Exit 147 just past the exit for Hagerman and U.S. 30, start looking for Malad Gorge.
• You’ll cross the gorge on the freeway, but it’s one of those now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t things.
• Take the exit and follow the signs to the park. It costs $5 to enter the park. Restrooms are available at just the right point in the drive.
• This is a small unit of Thousand Springs State Park. Read the kiosk about the park. The information gives you insight into the area and geology.
• The highlight of the park is the walk across a footbridge going over the 250-foot-deep Malad Gorge.
• Once across the footbridge, if you hike along the pathway to the overlook downstream, look back upstream. You’ll see a 60-foot waterfall.
• There are great opportunities for photography, but early morning is best on this day trip. The shadows are harsh in midday. A cloudy day would be good.
PERRINE BRIDGE
• Get back on I-84, heading east to Twin Falls.
• Take Exit 173 on U.S. 93, which takes you to Twin Falls.
• Before you get to the city, you’ll come to the Perrine Bridge. Park in the parking area just before the bridge and walk to the overlook. Hold on to your hats for the view and also the wind.
The spectacular bridge spans the Snake River Canyon on the northern edge of Twin Falls. It is 1,500 feet long and 486 feet above the river.
By the way, BASE jumpers use the Perrine Bridge as their launching pad for parachuting from the bridge to the canyon floor below.
SHOSHONE FALLS
• Head across the bridge into Twin Falls and continue on the main drag (Blue Lakes Boulevard) until you come to Falls Avenue.
It’s 3 miles east on Falls Avenue East to where you turn north on 3300 E. Road. The road goes a mile to the canyon rim and then drops into the canyon to the park at the falls.
• Outhouses are available.
• Bundle up. It can be cold and windy in the canyon, and depending on the direction of the wind, you could get rained on by the falls.
• Shoshone Falls is spectacular. At 212 feet, the falls are higher than Niagara Falls, according to visitid.org.
Although the flows of the Snake River going over the falls are expected to be pretty impressive this winter, even when there is little water, the falls are beautiful.
Look at the River Report in Idaho Outdoors today for a river level at the falls.
The park provides visitor information about the area and the falls.
• The overview at the parking lot gives you a close up view of the falls.
• There is another overlook after a short hike downstream. You get a wide-angle view.
The park is open year-around, and there is no fee during winter.
The only time the park may be closed is if there is snow and ice on the road leading down into the canyon.
Call Twin Falls Parks and Recreation for an update: (208) 736-2265.
HAGERMAN
• Head back to the main road in Twin Falls (Blue Lakes Boulevard) and go south to U.S. 30.
• Take U.S. 30 west through the farming towns of Filer and Buhl.
• Past Buhl, you start to see Thousand Springs across the river.
• If you’re a bird-watcher, stop at the Hagerman Wildlife Management Area areas just after crossing the Snake River and just before Hagerman. It’s loaded with waterfowl.
• Stop for dinner in Hagerman.
• As you head out of Hagerman, you’ll cross the Malad River. Yes, that is the river you crossed on the footbridge at Malad Gorge State Park.
BRUNEAU DUNES
• Continue on U.S. 30 to I-84 and head west on I-84.
• Get off at the second Hammett exit (Bruneau Dunes State Park) and drive into Hammett and take Idaho 78 south and west out of town.
It will take you along the Snake River and eventually to Bruneau Dunes State Park. There’s another $5 entry fee for the park.
• Hopefully you get there in the late afternoon for fabulous photos of the dunes.
You’ll also see flights of ducks and geese at around 4:30 p.m., if they are still frequenting the park.
• Head north on Idaho 51 to Mountain Home, the freeway and back to the Treasure Valley.
Pete Zimowsky: 377-6445
