One of the best things about visiting Twin Falls is that you don’t have to travel far—or spend an entire day hiking—to experience some of Southern Idaho’s most impressive scenery.
In fact, you can walk behind a nearly 200-foot waterfall, stand nearly 500 feet above the Snake River Canyon, watch BASE jumpers leap from the Perrine Bridge, grab lunch with an incredible view, and then finish your afternoon overlooking the 212-foot “Niagara of the West.”
And you can comfortably do it all in just a few hours.
Recently, we had extended family come into town and wanted to show them some of the places that make Twin Falls special. Rather than trying to pack an entire region into one day, we kept things simple: Perrine Coulee Falls, the Perrine Bridge and Twin Falls Visitor Center, and Shoshone Falls.
It turned out to be an ideal Twin Falls afternoon—and an easy way to “double dip” on two very different Southern Idaho waterfalls.
Stop #1: Walk Behind Perrine Coulee Falls
Our first stop was Perrine Coulee Falls, tucked into the Snake River Canyon below the south rim of Twin Falls.
Perrine Coulee is one of those attractions that can surprise even people who have driven through Twin Falls many times. Water plunges nearly 200 feet from the canyon rim, but unlike many large waterfalls, you don’t have to admire this one exclusively from a distant overlook.
A short trail allows visitors to get right up next to the falls—and even walk behind the falling water.
Learn more about Perrine Coulee Falls
As you approach, the sound of the waterfall grows louder, the temperature seems to drop and mist begins filling the air.
Then you get behind it.
Standing between the canyon wall and a curtain of falling water is an entirely different waterfall experience than simply looking down from an overlook. You can feel the spray, hear the roar of the water and look outward toward the canyon from behind the falls.
For kids, it’s an adventure. For adults, it’s one of those places that reminds you just how unusual the geology of the Snake River Canyon really is.
We spent about an hour here with our extended family.
That gave the kids plenty of time to explore, everyone a chance to make the walk behind the falls, and plenty of opportunities for photos without feeling like we needed to rush to the next stop.
This isn’t an attraction where you necessarily need to devote half a day. That’s part of what makes Perrine Coulee such a great addition to a Twin Falls itinerary.
The area immediately around the falls is rocky, wet and uneven in places. Good footwear with traction is a smart choice, and visitors should expect at least a little spray when getting close to—or walking behind—the waterfall.
Use extra caution with younger children, especially around wet rocks and steeper portions of the trail.
And, as always, help us keep Southern Idaho beautiful. Stay on established routes where possible, pack out anything you bring in and leave the rocks and natural surroundings as you found them.
Stop #2: Lunch With a 486-Foot View
After about an hour at Perrine Coulee, we headed back up the canyon.
Our next stop was one of Idaho’s most recognizable landmarks: the Perrine Memorial Bridge.
The bridge carries traffic across the massive Snake River Canyon approximately 486 feet above the river, and the Twin Falls Visitor Center sits right beside it.
That makes this an incredibly easy second stop.
By this point, everyone was ready for lunch.
Twin Falls recently welcomed a new In-N-Out Burger, so we picked up lunch and brought it over to the Visitor Center area. We spent roughly another hour eating, enjoying the sunshine, exploring the grounds and looking into the canyon.
No complicated itinerary.
No rushing from attraction to attraction.
Just lunch with one of the best views in Idaho.
The Twin Falls Visitor Center itself is worth visiting, especially if you’re new to Southern Idaho. Travelers can find information about attractions throughout the region, learn more about the area and browse locally sourced gifts and souvenirs.
Outside, paved paths lead toward overlooks of the canyon and Perrine Bridge.
And then there’s something you won’t find at many visitor centers in America.
Keep Your Eyes on the Perrine Bridge
BASE jumpers.
The Perrine Bridge is internationally known in the BASE jumping community and is one of the few bridges in the United States where BASE jumping is legally allowed year-round without a permit.
That means an ordinary lunch stop can suddenly become a show.
We were fortunate enough to see BASE jumpers during our family visit.
One moment you’re looking at the bridge. The next, someone steps off.
You watch them fall toward the canyon floor before a parachute opens far below.
For visiting family—especially anyone who has never seen BASE jumping in person—it’s a pretty memorable addition to an already impressive view.
At this point, we’d already walked behind a waterfall, explored beneath towering canyon walls, eaten lunch overlooking the Snake River Canyon and watched BASE jumpers leap from the Perrine Bridge.
That could have been a full afternoon by itself.
But we still had one more stop.
Stop #3: Double Dip at Shoshone Falls
From the Perrine Bridge and Twin Falls Visitor Center, it’s only about a 10-minute drive to our second waterfall of the day: Shoshone Falls.
That’s what makes this itinerary so easy.
You aren’t spending an hour in the car traveling between attractions. Perrine Coulee, the Perrine Bridge and Shoshone Falls are all concentrated around Twin Falls and the Snake River Canyon.
Within minutes, we went from looking down into the canyon from the Perrine Bridge to arriving at Shoshone Falls Park, operated by the City of Twin Falls.
Shoshone Falls drops 212 feet, making it taller than Niagara Falls. At its widest, the waterfall spans approximately 900 feet across the Snake River.
It’s one of Idaho’s most famous natural landmarks for good reason.
The overlook makes seeing it remarkably easy, too. You can park, walk a relatively short distance and suddenly find yourself looking across one of the most dramatic sections of the Snake River Canyon.
Plan your visit to Shoshone Falls
Two Waterfalls, Two Completely Different Experiences
This is what made our afternoon particularly fun.
Perrine Coulee and Shoshone Falls are both waterfalls in Twin Falls, but the experiences couldn’t be much more different.
At Perrine Coulee Falls, you’re down in the canyon.
You’re walking across rocks. You’re feeling the mist. You’re standing beside the water and eventually walking behind it.
At Shoshone Falls, you’re above the canyon looking across an enormous waterfall and the Snake River.
One is intimate and adventurous.
The other is massive and panoramic.
Our Shoshone Falls photos were taken during the summer, and there was still enough water flowing over the falls to create a beautiful rainbow in the mist below.
Visitors should know that the appearance of Shoshone Falls changes throughout the year.
Flows are generally strongest during spring and early summer, while irrigation demands can reduce the amount of water going over the falls later in the season. That means the Shoshone Falls you see in April may look very different from the Shoshone Falls you see in August or September.
But that’s part of experiencing a living river system.
Even during lower flows, the geology of the canyon and the views from Shoshone Falls Park make this a worthwhile stop.
An Easy Adventure for Visiting Friends and Family
What stood out to us afterward was just how easy the entire afternoon had been.
When extended family comes into town, it’s tempting to try showing them everything Southern Idaho has to offer.
But sometimes simpler is better.
We spent about an hour at Perrine Coulee Falls.
Then we spent about an hour around the Perrine Bridge and Twin Falls Visitor Center, eating lunch, enjoying the canyon and watching BASE jumpers.
Then we drove approximately 10 minutes to Shoshone Falls.
There was enough activity to keep the kids interested, plenty of scenery for the adults, and no need to spend half the day driving between destinations.
For a family with multiple generations traveling together, that’s hard to beat.
Want to Make It a Full Day?
You could easily expand this itinerary if you have more time.
Centennial Waterfront Park sits down inside the Snake River Canyon near the Perrine Bridge and offers another completely different perspective of the canyon.
Dierkes Lake is adjacent to Shoshone Falls and provides additional opportunities for outdoor recreation.
And the Snake River Canyon Rim Trail stretches along the south rim, connecting scenic overlooks and several major Twin Falls attractions.
Or you can do exactly what we did and keep things simple.
Three stops.
A couple of hours.
Two waterfalls.
One enormous canyon.
And a whole lot of Southern Idaho packed into one afternoon.
Try the Twin Falls Waterfall Double Dip
If you’re visiting Twin Falls—or have friends and family coming to town—save this itinerary:
Perrine Coulee Falls → Perrine Bridge & Twin Falls Visitor Center → Shoshone Falls
Start by getting a little wet walking behind Perrine Coulee Falls.
Head back to the canyon rim, grab some lunch and enjoy the view from the Twin Falls Visitor Center. Keep an eye on the Perrine Bridge because you never know when a parachute might suddenly appear below it.
Then hop back in the car and drive about 10 minutes to Shoshone Falls for the grand finale.
You don’t have to travel hours into the wilderness to find an adventure in Southern Idaho.
Sometimes, you can double dip on waterfalls without ever leaving Twin Falls.
