Yes, Shoshone Falls of Idaho is 36 feet higher than famous Niagara Falls but few have ever heard about it. It was 1973 and I had qualified for the Idaho State High School Rodeo Finals in Filer Idaho. While at the rodeo we had an off day and some friends said hey, want to go see Shoshone Falls? I said O.K. very unenthusiastically.
I remember we left Filer about 7:00 in the morning and within a half hour there we were starring at this massive wonder and my jaw just dropped! You see there was a rainbow in the falls and the morning sun came up from the backside of the falls and all three of us just stood there in awe and the only words out of our mouths I remember were Wow!, Amazing! and Unbelievable!
You see I had heard about Shoshone Falls for years but never had taken the time to see it. It is located about 2 hours from the Treasure Valley of Idaho where I live just west of the capital city of Boise. I have seen a lot of places in my life time. I saw Mount Rushmore in 1974, Lake Managua in Nicaragua in 1987 and the majestic Pyramids and rivers of Belize in 1987 but to have something like Shoshone Falls in our back yard is nothing short of amazing.
Shoshone Falls is 212 high which is 36" higher than Niagara Falls and flows over a rim 900 feet wide. The falls is part of the massive Snake River system which meanders through southern Idaho on it's journey to the Columbia River. It is best seen in the spring before the irrigation season draws water from the Snake River, diminishing the flow over Shoshone Falls. I was not able to see it but many reports said the spring 2006 season produced one of the most spectacular water shows over Shoshone Falls ever seen. The snow pack was very high that year and unbelievable amounts of water that flowed over the falls that year had people talking about it all across the state. People flowed in record numbers to the park owned by the city of Twin Falls that overlooks the park. That year the majestic beauty of Shoshone Falls was in the news for weeks.
It is estimated that Shoshone Falls has existed for 30,000 to 60,000 years. Early settlers commonly referred to Shoshone Falls as the "Niagara Falls of the west". The falls represents the upper limit of Sturgeon and spawning runs of salmon and steelhead which cannot pass the falls. Bald Eagles are a common site along the Snake River Canyon and the area surrounding Shoshone Falls. Those that have seen Shoshone Falls are amazed that the falls is not listed as one of the 7 wonders of the world.
When you take your trip to Idaho you can make your own decision as to where Shoshone Falls stands in the most amazing places you have visited.
Posted By: George Tallabas - Boise Idaho Real Estate Agent - Associate Broker
with RE/MAX Advantage, Canyon Counties #1 Brokerage in sales and listings
specializing in Boise Idaho Real Estate and Southwest Idaho Real Estate.
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