Idaho, the 13th largest state in the USA, shares a border with Wyoming, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Utah, and offers a vast amount of places to go and things to do, appealing to everyone from families to road trippers, fishermen to skiers, city slickers to adventurers.
Idaho has natural wonders like Shoshone Falls, which are higher than Niagara, and Hells Canyon, which is deeper than the Grand Canyon. The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is one of the largest wilderness areas in the Lower 48, second only to California’s Death Valley and in Bruneau Dunes State Park, you’ll find the largest single structured sand dune in North America – it rises 143 metres above the surrounding desert.
There are over 300 hot springs in the state, of which 130 are ‘soaker friendly’. In Soda Springs you can find the largest captive geyser in the world – it erupts every hour on the hour, reaching heights of over 33 metres.
For bird lovers, Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area boasts the world’s densest populations of nesting eagles, hawks and falcons.
History buffs will want to visit the Old West mining town of Wallace, with its downtown area on the National Historic Register, or explore some of the landmarks of the Oregon Trail. Adventurers are at home in Idaho with more whitewater to paddle on than anywhere else in the continental USA, world-class skiing or snowboarding at Sun Valley, and myriad parks and forests to hike in. Or if you are into driving vacations, take your pick of 31 scenic byways that crisscross the state, through stunning scenery and places of interest.
And that’s not all – this surprising state has over 50 wineries, 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones, and is home to six Native American tribes: The Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai of Idaho, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, Shoshone-Paiute and Lemhi-Shoshone.
visitidaho.org
