On the way out of the Idaho Falls, I noticed the sign for the historic marker and so we stopped…read more The Falls are beautiful and there are benches and some shade to sit and enjoy. It was well worth the stop. The marker reads: "Taylor's Bridge. Idaho's earliest toll bridge spanned Snake River at this rocky site in 1865. Replacing Eagle Rock Ferry, 9 miles upstream. James Madison Taylor (a relative of Presidents Madison and Taylor and a founder of Denver, Colorado) settled here in 1864 to develop an improved route for his freight line from Salt Lake to Montana's new gold mines. After his bridge was built, telegraph service reached here July 16, 1866 and Eagle Rock (as Idaho Falls was known until 1890) became a regional transportation center. A railroad bridge was built adjacent to Taylor's bridge in 1879."

Love the Antler Arches!!! These are an iconic photo spot for…read moreanyone visiting town. They have 4, one in every corner of the Jackson Hole Square. Highly recommend to anyone!

"When you see a deer you see Bambi And I see antlers up on…read morethe wall" (Brad Paisley) When our tour bus rolled through Jackson Hole en route to our hotel, my eyes caught sight of something bizarre. It was a big archway at an entrance to a park -but what exactly was that arch made of? Well, there are really four arches at every corner of the park, and they are made from elk antlers. They were built by the local Rotary Club in 1953 and have become a beloved Jackson Hole icon as a landmark and photo backdrop for wedding shoots and family portraits. I read that each of the four arches are made of between 1,000 to 2,000 pounds of antlers. The local Boy Scouts pick up antlers that were shed at the Elk Refuge for the arches and harvest them for the arches. Each antler weighs between 5 and 10 pounds, and are mechanically attached around a steel frame to create these magnificent arches. I also read that the antlers degrade over time, so constant inspection and replacement is necessary.

The Welcome to Idaho Falls Landmark Fountain greets visitors as they exit Interstate 15 and enter…read morethe historical downtown district of Idaho Falls. The cascading water over indigenous lava rock (running during spring, summer and autumn months) and the city's branding logo is a great introduction to the similarly branded way-finding signage throughout the city. The fountain is lit at night year-round.

A historic landmark worth seeing." Expect crowds, as many tourists stop here to take photos. The…read morebest time to visit is during the summer months--either at sunrise or sunset for the most beautiful views. There's a small dirt parking lot nearby, and access is fairly straightforward. No restrooms here

This is a cute little site with some interesting history. It is also great for photo opportunities.read more

Fall Creek Falls!!! One of the best landmark activities I have completed in 2024! What a lasting…read moreimpression I'll have of this place. Feeling mighty blessed to have visited. Fall Creek Falls is a waterfall area where you can view the falls from high above.....OR....you have the option of scrambling down to the base of the waterfall using the assistance of rope. Once you're down at the bottom, you can absolutely go swimming in the waters which was refreshing for a hot day in July. Fall Creek Falls is located 5 miles away from the town of Swan Valley, Idaho. It's in the eastern section of Idaho and not far from the Wyoming border. I discovered the falls by randomly looking for things to do in Driggs, Idaho and this was mentioned positively. It's free to visit. You can plug "Fall Creek Falls" into Google Maps and you're good to go. Most of the road is paved along the way until the very last section. Simply pull off to the side like other cars there will be doing. Fall Creek Falls is a 60 foot cascading waterfall with an extremely photogenic backdrop. The scene is terrific. Plus, it's not slippery so you can climb the rock walls of the falls. The waterfall splashes down into little pools trickling into the Snake River. You can relax in these pools beside the falls...as if they were natural hot springs. It's a wonder to be here. Hard to put into words how special Fall Creek Falls is. Even the Snake River is calm. You can float away without a worry in the world. You don't need to wear water shoes or flip flops. The ground is gentle on your feet. The water isn't too cold. Just remember to bring a bathing suit, lol. I'd like to back up one moment and talk more about the experience of getting down to the base of Fall Creek Falls... - Once you arrive and park, walk through the green shrubs of vegetation and you can view Fall Creek Falls from above. It's a quick 5 minute glance at the waterfall and the scenic Idaho setting, which at least for me...I have done far too little exploring of in this potato state. - To find the section where you maneuver down to the base with the rope, it's located a few short steps to the right hand side along the rim of the cliffside. There's no trailhead or sign for it, but you'll instantly notice a clearing of the tall green shrubbery. - I actually had to change my shoes before going down to the base. There's a pretty steep initial decline on dirt that I didn't feel comfortable about. I started questioning the strength of my footing and so I returned to my car and replaced my casual shoes with tennis sneakers with strong soles to give me the grip I needed. And this made all the difference in the world. Next, I made my way down confidently, but still used the rope for safety. If you have a fear of heights, the trek could be intimidating. - Once down at the bottom, you walk through a tall green marshy swamp passage that unfolds into magic, like you've arrived at the holy grail. The background opens up and the beautiful cascading waterfall is in front of your eyes! Most people then take their belongings off and start enjoying the waters. Funny extra note, right beside the falls...people were fishing in their little rowboats/dinghy's. - While drying off afterwards, I noticed a few leaches attached to my bathing suit. I also had a ton of mud, dirt, grass and moss stuck in the undercarriage of my bathing suit. I couldn't believe how dirty I was just lounging in the river, so maybe be prepared for that. - Lastly, I stopped on by at 4pm at the end of July and pretty much had the place to myself. It felt like a dream come true, honestly. Eventually, a few strangers showed up and it was pleasant to speak with them and hear about where their travels were taking them. - Returning back to the top of the falls wasn't difficult. Just to be cautious, I used the assistance of the rope most of the way. And that's it, got back in my car and drove away feeling incredible fulfillment. Fall Creek Falls is fantastic and one of the best waterfall attractions I have experienced in a long time. I highly suggest visiting if you're near the Swan Valley area of Idaho. Just want to thank the great outdoors for this opportunity. It's the fuel I needed to keep going while living life on the road.

Amazing waterfall to check out if in the Swan Valley area! Just off from the road you will find…read morethis beautiful waterfall overlooking a picturesque landscape. A little way down the road you will find a rope that helps you get to the bottom of the falls. From there you can wade in the water and climb the many levels of the falls, including a small pool you can swim in. Another possibility is also to kayak up to the falls and enjoy from that angle. Definitely a must visit! This was an amazing hidden gem that we stumbled upon, and we had it all to ourselves during our visit.

Visited in early May and honestly -- Grand Teton might be the most underrated national park in the…read morecountry. The Teton Range is absolutely jaw-dropping, especially with all the snow still covering the peaks. Even driving through with mountains filling your windshield felt surreal. Fair warning if you're planning an early May trip: Moose Wilson Road was still closed when we went -- that's actually one of the best spots in the park to see moose -- and the boat shuttle doesn't run until May 15th. We didn't spot any moose since it's still too early in the season for them to be active along the road. So if you want the full experience -- open roads, wildlife, and water access -- aim for after May 15th. But even with those limitations, the scenery alone is worth every mile. Come here before everyone else discovers it.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Yes please - so beautiful and everywhere you look like it just seems to be unreal…read more Happy trails!!!

Mesa Falls is located in Eastern Idaho about 17 miles north of the town of Ashton, ID. There are…read moretwo parts to the falls...Upper and Lower Mesa Falls. The Upper is the crowning moment of visiting. There's a boardwalk pathway circling the canyon rim of Upper Mesa Falls. Along the way, there are multiple vista point lookouts from high above to appreciate the forest canyon surroundings. Upper Mesa Falls measures 114 feet tall and spans 200 feet wide. Before thinking about checking out Lower Mesa Falls, I'd suggest stopping here at the Upper Falls. It's where the Big Falls Inn is located which acts as the Visitor Center. The Big Falls Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a giant cabin and the unofficial starting point of Mesa Falls. When arriving, you can stop inside and ask staff questions about the falls plus there's chances to purchase souvenirs, drinks and snacks. Then it's time to follow the trail to Mesa Falls. Basically, the highlight experience is standing beside the pinnacle of it all...and that's Upper Mesa Falls. Once finished with the Upper Falls, you can continue along the canyon rim to arrive at Lower Mesa Falls. But, Lower Mesa Falls wasn't nearly as dramatic as the Upper. Just throwing this cautionary note out there, so you won't be disappointed after coming off the wonderful perspectives at the Upper Falls. Instead of continuing along the canyon rim pathway to Lower Mesa Falls, you can return to your car and drive 1 mile down the road to reach the falls overlook point. Upper and Lower Mesa Falls had distinct comparisons. The Upper was crowded with families and it had me questioning who out there was visiting Eastern Idaho??? Yet, it was busy for July. Now, coming over to the Lower Falls, it was a ghost town. Barely a car in the parking lot. For a moment I questioned if I was at the right location. But yeah, the Lower Falls had no visitors. Meanwhile, back at the Upper Falls, I had to use the Overflow Parking Lot because of the congestion. Speaking of parking...it's $5 entrance for day use. They ask you to pay immediately at the entrance station by filling out a payment slip and dropping it into a box before starting your explorations. Only payment options are exactly $5 or by using a check. They don't accept credit cards. If you'd like to do some hiking, back at the Upper Falls section is the Mesa Nature Trail. It's a 2 mile out and back hike that's rated as easy. There's no elevation and it's suitable for everyone. Important point to make...a lot of people think that hiking the Mesa Nature Trail will lead from the Upper Falls down to the Lower Falls. But in fact, that's not the case. The trail is just a hike to appreciate the great outdoors. I believe it's by following the RIM PATHWAY from the Upper Falls that leads you to the Lower Falls and parking lot. I found this confusing and ultimately just returned to my car and drove myself to Lower Mesa Falls. There is camping if interested. Grandview Campground is situated right next to Lower Mesa Falls. It was entirely full when I showed up in July. There was slight cell phone reception. While walking around the Upper Falls, there were no bars, but the closer out towards the road offered better connection possibilities. If you're specifically here to see the falls, maybe you need two hours to enjoy the sceneries. You can make it into a quick half day side trip if you're coming out to Grand Teton National Park, only 91 miles away. The west entrance to Yellowstone NP is just 50 miles away. Overall, it's Upper Mesa Falls that makes visiting special. It's where you'll get the most bang for your buck. And then, it was just surprising to see how far off in the distance Lower Mesa Falls was. I would think they'd find a more accessible way to reach the Lower Falls, like how they have the charming boardwalk pathway at the Upper Falls rim. In the end, just being outside enjoying nature is what matters. Some highlights are memorable and some can't always live up to expectations.

Mesa Falls is a beautiful 1 hour drive from Victor, Id, and about 50 miles from Yellowstone…read more We entered the Upper Mesa Falls parking lot and paid the attendant $5. The exact change was requested. At 10:30 a.m., the lot was fairly empty. There were porta potty style restrooms near the parking lot and none in the visitor center. If you're looking for the paved trail that leads you to Upper Mesa Falls, the pathway and boardwalk can be found across from Big Falls Inn, which is also the Visitor Center. We mistakenly missed this and walked towards a sign that read Mesa Falls. We followed it, and when we reached the end at approximately 1 mile, we realized that we had taken the Lower Mesa Falls Trail. They are two completely separate Falls. Lower Mesa Falls is a 65 ft high waterfall, and Upper Mesa Falls is a 114 ft high waterfall. I was pretty disappointed when we reached the end of Lower Mesa Falls. The view of the waterfall wasn't that great. My husband, seeing my disappointment, continued walking to the right of the dead end and discovered an off-road trail. The trail was steep going down, and the second half was over rocks. It was so worth taking. The trail took us to an overlook next to the top of Lower Mesa Falls. Absolutely amazing! I don't recommend taking this trail with kids. There were many spots for potential slips. Wear good hiking shoes and bring bug spray. There were lots of mosquitos!

This is such a beautiful region in Yellowstone. It's centrally located on the grand loop between…read moreYellowstone Lake and Yellowstone Falls. It is also a great spot to see lots of wildlife. Bison, elk, ducks, wolves, and lots of birds roam around this Valley. There are several turnouts along the road that you can pull over and take pictures at. The Yellowstone river is on the east side of the road. I made quite a few stops along the way and enjoyed the scenic views and the breezy weather with my morning coffee. It was a nice way to start my day. I was even able to get close enough to capture a bald eagle in flight. This Valley is named for of Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden who conducted geological surveys in this region in the 1800's.

One of the few traffic jams I actually enjoy being a part of!…read more This is well-known as the roaming land of the bison, so if you're looking to see wildlife you definitely need to drive through this area. This is on the eastern portion of the loop a bit south of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. As a safety precaution because for some reason this happens every year: do NOT get too close to the bison and do NOT provoke them in any way! When they get agitated they will bellow and pound their feet in a revving motion, and you definitely don't want to be near them when that happens. I was talking to a ranger and he mentioned that they start coming to Hayden Valley and the park in late May or early June and leave in September, so if you're looking to see the most bison you can I'd recommend somewhere in the middle. I went in early August and I saw tons of them. Being stuck in a traffic jam in Hayden Valley is just one of the unique experiences at Yellowstone that you don't get in many places, and I recommend pulling off to take pictures of them, at a safe distance of course.

I adore a scenic small town! We drove east from Rexburg and strolled around the historic downtown…read morearea and the falls park. It was a perfect day to play tourist. The temperature was in the 70s and it drizzled. We were able to walk around the area at our leisure. It wasn't crowded and parking was no problem either. Several people were on their lunch break either eating or stretching their legs along the paths. I've never been to a park that has so many art sculptures throughout. They were all animals either as groups or solo and they were lovely. I took a lot of pictures of the sculptures. The sound of the falls from everywhere was so relaxing and peaceful. We strolled from one side to the other and spent a couple of hours just enjoying the scenery. I love days like that!

The best walk is between Broadway St. and Route 20. The falls are in that section as is an island…read morewith an interesting story about a man who built a cabin there and lived there for many years. On the west side, you get great views of a waterfall that is part man-made, part natural that only drops maybe 12 feet or so, but goes on for 100 yards or more over many rocky areas. Many people focus on the part on the west side just north of Broadway up to views of the temple (1/2 mile one way). If you do the loop that I said is the best walk - going on both sides - it is 2.3 miles total. It is all asphalt. There are rest rooms along the way. There are a number of places to sit. There are scooters for rent as well.

Yellowstone National Park absolutely lives up to the hype. Even if you've seen the photos, even if…read moreyou think you know what to expect -- the scale of this place is hard to grasp until you're standing in it. You can watch Old Faithful erupt, walk past neon-colored hot springs, drive through wide-open valleys full of bison, and stand at the edge of a canyon that looks like it belongs on another planet -- all in the same day. Every section of the park feels different, which keeps it from ever feeling repetitive. That said, it takes planning. Distances are longer than they appear, traffic can build quickly in peak season, and wildlife jams are very real. Give yourself more time than you think you need. It's big, it's wild, and it's absolutely worth the effort.

One of the coolest places on the planet! Definitely one of the most visited and most popular…read morenational parks in the US. The park is HUGE, we spent 3 days here and didn't even get to all the scenic points, just visited the highlights. The park is a stunning destination for nature lovers, wildlife enthusiasts, and history buffs. It spans across 3 states Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho with multiple entrances . It is home to the greatest concentration of hydrothermal features in the world, including geysers, hot springs, mud pots, and fumaroles. It also boasts spectacular scenery, such as lakes, canyons, rivers, waterfalls, and mountain ranges. Fall is a wonderful time to visit Yellowstone, as the crowds are fewer, the colors are vibrant, and the wildlife is active. The weather can be pleasant but temperature can vary great on a day to day basis and sometimes on a hour to hour basis. The first day we were there it was a nice hot 78 degrees during the day, second day however the cold front moved in and it actually snowed. Yes you read that right. Temperature dropped down to below freezing point over night. Pack wisely. One of the highlights of fall in Yellowstone is the wildlife. Lots of elks and deers freely roaming around, and definitely not afraid of humans. We got stuck in 45min of traffic due to a whole herd of bison crossing. It was a cool sight to see. If you enjoy hiking or biking, fall is a great time to explore Yellowstone's trails and roads. You can see the leaves change color from green to yellow, orange, and red. You can also enjoy the geothermal features without the summer crowds. Some of the most popular areas to visit are Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, Lamar Valley, and Yellowstone Lake. You should check the road status and closures before you go, as some sections may be closed for maintenance or snow. Fall in Yellowstone is a magical experience that you will never forget. It is a place where you can connect with nature, learn about history, and have fun. I highly recommend visiting Yellowstone National Park in fall!