We visited Shoshone Falls on our first day in Idaho. The temperature was right around 100 degrees, but it was a dry heat that didn’t feel too hot out of the sun.

Shoshone Falls is sometimes called the Niagara Falls of the West. I’ve never been to Niagara Falls, but the waterfall was impressive even though it was half the size at the end of July than it would be in early April. I was told by the locals that water would cover the rocks to the right of the waterfall earlier in the year.

Below is the view of where the waterfall flows through the canyon. There were a few tiny waterfalls that trickled through the rocks.

Before the waterfall is Dierkes Lake where there was a large area to swim and rent kayaks. The water was deep. There was a large n shaped dock which contained a raft and diving board to jump off. There were youth jumping off the cliffs right outside of the swimming area. The water was clean and crisp, perfect for a hot day. I was surprised there weren’t more people at the lake on a hot Friday. It only cost $5 to get into the park.

There were hiking trails around the lake. We had a picnic lunch. People were fishing. There was something there for everyone.

We felt like we were being watched. By what, we weren’t sure but it looked like a prairie dog. We kept seeing them pop their heads up every so often.

We stayed at the park most of the day. It was pretty relaxing. It was probably my favorite part of the trip. We did some sightseeing of breathtaking views. The weather was perfect for a beach day. We got in a little hiking. We didn’t have to do a lot of driving.

I enjoyed Idaho more than I thought I would. There is beauty in every state, you just have to find it.