The Niagara of the West: 212 feet tall and 900 feet wide when the Snake River is allowed to come over, and nearly dry by fall when Milner Dam sends the water to farms instead.
Mid March through mid June
Big water window
in a typical year
Flow controlled
What drives it
Snake River
Live USGS
Data on this page
gauge 13090500
City of Twin Falls
Managed by
their rules govern
Trail status, closures and safety rules belong to each falls' managing agency, named and linked on every page.
The season
What fills Shoshone Falls, and when
Shoshone Falls is the country's clearest lesson in regulated flow. The City of Twin Falls, which runs the park, says it plainly: spring snowmelt is the best time, summer diverts a portion of the river for irrigation, and by fall the falls often appears nearly dry. The city puts typical spring peaks at 10,000 to 12,000 cfs, upwards of 20,000 in big snow years, and notes the decision is made 20 miles upstream at Milner Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation. The gauge on this page reads the Snake just above the falls, so you can see the schedule for yourself.
Typical best flow: Mid March through mid June
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What the agency itself says
Spring, when the snowpack begins to melt, is the best time to see Shoshone Falls. In the summer months, a portion of the river is diverted for irrigation purposes, which reduces the flow over the falls. In the Fall, you will often experience a minimal flow where Shoshone Falls will appear nearly dry.
Gauge: USGS 13090500 Snake River nr Twin Falls ID, on the Snake River just upstream of the falls, below the Milner Dam diversions. The gauge reads the river, not the brink of the falls, so treat it as the trend line rather than a turnstile.
Source: USGS Water Services (National Water Information System). Instantaneous values and daily statistics services. U.S. Geological Survey data are works of the United States Government and are in the public domain. Gauge verified 2026-08-27.
Multnomah Falls in autumn: a Columbia Gorge falls that keeps respectable flow year round, and the standard against which most falls seasons get measured. “Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Multnomah Falls, fall color - 3” — Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region — Public domain
Getting there
Access, in the agency's words and ours
Shoshone Falls Park is open year round dawn to dusk, with a $5 per car fee from March 1 through fall, per the city. Idaho Power posts flow news and a real time dashboard, and the city FAQ answers the only question that matters here: are the falls on.
Shoshone Falls with the water on. The dry season version of this exact view appears further down the page, and the difference between the two is an irrigation schedule, not a drought. “Shoshone Falls near Twin Falls, Idaho” by Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Common questions
Shoshone Falls flow season FAQ
The reliable big-water window is Mid March through mid June. Shoshone Falls is the country's clearest lesson in regulated flow. The City of Twin Falls, which runs the park, says it plainly: spring snowmelt is the best time, summer diverts a portion of the river for irrigation, and by fall the falls often appears nearly dry. The city puts typical spring peaks at 10,000 to 12,000 cfs, upwards of 20,000 in big snow years, and notes the decision is made 20 miles upstream at Milner Dam by the Bureau of Reclamation. The gauge on this page reads the Snake just above the falls, so you can see the schedule for yourself.
This page reads the USGS gauge on Snake River (Snake River nr Twin Falls ID, on the Snake River just upstream of the falls, below the Milner Dam diversions) live in your browser, and shows the latest flow next to the median USGS publishes for today's date, so you can see where today sits in the year. The gauge reads the river, not the brink, so treat it as the trend rather than a turnstile.
Yes, most years, and on purpose. The city says fall visitors will often find minimal flow with the falls appearing nearly dry, because the Snake is working for irrigators upstream. Spring is the show; the rest of the year the canyon is still spectacular and the water is a bonus.
City of Twin Falls Parks and Recreation (Shoshone Falls Park). Shoshone Falls Park is open year round dawn to dusk, with a $5 per car fee from March 1 through fall, per the city. Idaho Power posts flow news and a real time dashboard, and the city FAQ answers the only question that matters here: are the falls on. Trail status, closures and safety rules are theirs, and their page is linked on this one; nothing here overrides what they publish.
Yosemite Falls in May, running on snowmelt that will be gone by late summer. The National Park Service tells visitors the falls can be dry by August, which is why every falls page here starts from its watershed. “Tourists below Yosemite Falls (39832011431)” by Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0
The bigger of the two Mesa Falls, on the last stretch of major Idaho falls never harnessed for irrigation or power: a wild Henrys Fork pouring off a volcanic ledge.
A 65 foot plunge over a 200 foot wide ledge of ancient volcanic tuff, viewed from an overlook on the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway and open even while its upper sibling is under renovation.
Places to stay