If you are from the generation that drank from the hose in the yard and stayed out till the street lights came on, you might be familiar with the Snake River.
Why? Because Twin Falls, ID is the location of Evel Knievel’s famous Snake River Canyon Jump… attempt in 1973. Turned out his emergency chute deployed early causing the rocket to glide to the canyon floor. And, while I was not even 2 years old at the time of this jump, Knievel stayed in the hearts and minds of all kids that grew up in the 70’s.
The hill that the rocket launch was built on is still there. You can even get within a few hundred yards of it, but we didn’t take the trail due to the heat.
If you think Twin Falls got all of it’s adrenaline seeking behavior out of the way with this one event, think twice. It turns out that Perrine Bridge is the only man-made structure in the US where it is legal to base jump, without a permit, year round. And we were there to witness one!
A guy is going to attempt the world record from this location which will require him to jump and climb the 486 feet back to the top SIXTY FIVE TIMES in 24 hours! That’s the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest.
Shockingly, I did NOT take advantage of the tandem jump option available, but mostly because I didn’t even know it WAS an option til researching for this post. Maybe next time.
Mammoth Cave
In high school, I remember discovering the Lava Cave in Flagstaff, AZ. I’ve taken several groups of friends and family back there ever since. It’s still pretty rustic and informal though at least there’s parking at the entrance these days.
The Mammoth Cave near Twin Falls is very similar in that it was formed by an underground lava flow that eventually burst through the surface.
This one is a privately owned attraction that is also the home of his private collection of taxidermy birds, animals and other collections.
We had to stand off against a few perturbed cows on the drive out but managed to sneak by.
On site, the grounds does not provide much in the way of facilities but they do have a few emus and several peacocks adding to our animal count by 2!
If you like the weird and crazy, this is definitely one to add to your list.
Shoshone Falls At Night
Shoshone Falls is nicknamed the Niagara of the West. A few times a year, they offer a special opportunity to see these beautiful falls at night via a light show.
If you get the chance to go, you’ll need to purchase your tickets early and plan for some serious traffic and crowds. Large vehicles (even big trucks) are NOT recommended.
The Stats
Miles hiked at this stop – 5
Animal Sightings to date – 19