Shoshone Falls is sometimes referred to as “The Niagara Falls of the West.” In reality, Niagara Falls should be considered the Shoshone Falls of the East.
Shoshone is 45 feet higher and much wider than Niagara, at nearly 1000 feet wide. The falls and the Snake River that they’re on were carved 14,000 years ago when Lake Bonneville catastrophically overtopped. In modern times, much of the Snake River upstream from the falls is diverted for agriculture and hydroelectric production, resulting in nearly no flow over the falls in the summer months.
This photo is from the first time I visited about seven years ago. I visited in March, and the Twin Falls city park, which accesses the falls, was closed. However, I managed to walk down past the gate and capture the falls in all their glory, despite slipping on ice in the parking lot and cracking the filter on my camera! I’ve since been there at other times of the year, mainly summer, and the difference in water flow is amazing. It’s just a trickle at those times of year.
