Things to do in Twin Falls
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Twin Falls
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring gives Shoshone Falls its best flow, peaking late April through May and into June in wet years.
Summer is hot and best for river activities, but falls flow drops as irrigation demand peaks.
Autumn brings cooler air, the county fair and the Thousand Springs arts festival, with low falls flow.
Winter is cold, windy and quiet, with icy rim conditions and a moody rather than spectacular falls.
What's on
- Shoshone Falls After Dark May, Thursdays to Sundays
The falls lit with choreographed colour and music in timed per vehicle slots that sell out.
- Twin Falls County Fair and Magic Valley Stampede 2-7 September
County fair in Filer with PRCA rodeo nights, a country concert, monster trucks and a carnival.
- Thousand Springs Festival of the Arts 26-27 September
Arts festival on Ritter Island in Thousand Springs State Park in late September.
Best things to do in Twin Falls
Shoshone Falls Park
A 212 foot waterfall taller than Niagara, spectacular in spring and often a trickle by late summer.
Perrine Memorial Bridge
Walk 486 feet above the Snake River and watch BASE jumpers leap from a bridge where jumping is legal.
Perrine Coulee Falls
A tall canyon waterfall with a short trail that lets you walk directly behind the curtain of water.
Herrett Center for Arts and Science
Free galleries of prehistoric Americas plus Idaho largest planetarium, the best indoor stop in town.
Dierkes Lake Park
A blue green spring fed lake in the canyon with a swimming beach, diving board and a scenic loop trail.
Evel Knievel Jump Monument
The dirt ramp from the famous 1974 Skycycle canyon jump attempt, reached by a rim walk from the bridge.
Centennial Waterfront Park
The canyon floor park under Perrine Bridge, with river access, picnics and the kayak launch point.
Buzz Langdon Visitor Center
Start here for live falls flow advice, canyon views and the rim trailhead at the south end of the bridge.
Where to stay in Twin Falls
Canyon Rim and Blue Lakes Boulevard
first trips, falls and bridge access
North side cluster minutes from the visitor center, rim trail and falls, with the main chain hotels.
Downtown and Old Town
food, drink and a walkable evening
Small reviving downtown with the breweries, cafes and food hall within a few blocks.
South side and Blue Lakes value strip
price
Older commercial strips south of downtown with the cheapest rooms, all requiring a car.
Think twice about
- Addison Avenue West motel row
Ageing motels, boulevard noise and thin walls give a worse night for only a small saving over better hotels.
- Highway 93 and I-84 junction fringe, Jerome side
Isolated truck stop territory with nothing walkable and a bridge crossing between you and every dinner.
Best restaurants in Twin Falls
Elevation 486
The canyon rim destination dinner, with a patio 486 feet above the river facing Perrine Bridge.
Milner's Gate - Idaho Craft Brewery
Downtown craft brewery with an ambitious kitchen, a big patio and the best group dinner in town.
Jakers
The steakhouse locals book for birthdays and business dinners, known for steaks and prime rib.
Koto Brewing Company
Downtown taproom loved by IPA drinkers, the beer first complement to Milners Gate for dinner.
Twin Falls Sandwich Company
Downtown sandwiches on locally sourced bread, the standard lunch and the best falls picnic takeaway.
2nd South Market
A downtown food hall with local vendors under one roof that solves any group indecision.
Scooter's Chillin' and Grillin'
A beloved local bar and grill with burgers, garlic parmesan favourites and a deep tap list.
Buffalo Cafe
The breakfast institution, famous for Buffalo Chips, big omelettes and homemade raspberry jam.
Outdoor things to do in Twin Falls
Snake River Canyon Rim Trail
A paved rim trail linking the bridge, the Knievel ramp and falls viewpoints for walking and cycling.
AWOL Adventure Sports
Guided boat and kayak trip via Pillar Falls to the base of Shoshone Falls, the signature river experience.
Pillar Falls
Paddle from Centennial Park to a maze of rhyolite pillars, low cascades and calm swimming pools.
Tandem BASE
A tandem BASE jump from Perrine Bridge with an instructor and no prior skydiving experience needed.
Canyon Springs-Twin Falls Golf Club
Public 18 hole golf inside the canyon, with waterfalls, basalt walls and Perrine Bridge as scenery.
Earl M. Hardy Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve
Hike down into a box canyon where a huge spring fills turquoise pools below a 20 foot waterfall.
Ritter Island
An island loop with a historic dairy barn, falls views across the river and a calm family swim area.
Malad Gorge
Drive to overlooks and a bridge above the Devils Washbowl, a 60 foot waterfall in a deep gorge.
Best hotels in Twin Falls
Hilton Garden Inn Twin Falls
The most polished chain hotel in town, on the north side minutes from the bridge and falls.
Hampton Inn Twin Falls
Dependable mid range base half a mile from the rim, with hot breakfast and an indoor pool.
La Quinta Inn & Suites Twin Falls
Pet friendly north side hotel with no pet fee, a 24 hour indoor pool and a praised breakfast.
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Twin Falls
Kitchen suites for families and longer stays, the best base for three or more nights exploring.
The Fillmore Inn
The one boutique stay, a historic house inn with large rooms and a fully homemade breakfast.
My Place Hotel-Twin Falls, ID
Newer budget hotel with kitchenettes that undercuts the chains without tired motel tradeoffs.
Is Twin Falls expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $75 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $145 a person |
| Splurge | $280 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Herrett Center for Arts and Science: a few days ahead
- AWOL Adventure Sports: a few days ahead
- Tandem BASE: weeks ahead
- Canyon Springs-Twin Falls Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Miracle Hot Springs: a few days ahead
- Elevation 486: a few days ahead
- Milner's Gate - Idaho Craft Brewery: a few days ahead
- Jakers: a few days ahead
- Buy Shoshone Falls After Dark vehicle passes on release, as timed slots sell out.
- Book the AWOL kayak tour days ahead and a tandem BASE jump weeks ahead.
- Reserve Elevation 486 patio tables, Fillmore Inn rooms and fair weekend hotels days to weeks ahead.
Is Twin Falls safe?
- Stay behind rails at overlooks and keep children close on unfenced rim trail segments.
- Swim only in designated areas and wear the life jacket your outfitter provides.
- Carry water on rim walks, as summer heat is high and shade is almost absent.
- Drive the steep canyon roads slowly and never walk them.
Twin Falls travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Arriving in late summer expecting full Shoshone Falls flow is the biggest trap in Twin Falls.
- Do not eat every meal on the Blue Lakes chain strip when downtown is ten minutes away.
- Spending ninety seconds at the main falls platform undersells the whole canyon system.
- Balanced Rock works as a loop stop with a soak, not as a standalone half day.
Getting around Twin Falls: public transport and more
- You need a car, as sights line the canyon and Thousand Springs is a 30 mile highway drive.
- Blue Lakes Boulevard is the spine from downtown south to the bridge and visitor center north.
- Centennial Park sits below Perrine Bridge but is a ten minute drive from its top.
- Ride share is thin late at night, so staying downtown is the plan if you are drinking there.
Who Twin Falls suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Twin Falls your trip
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