Perrine Coulee Waterfall
Canyon Springs Road, below the south rim
Twin Falls, ID
A slender 200-foot waterfall spilling off the Snake River Canyon wall, with a short trail that leads you right behind the falling curtain of water.
Perrine Coulee is the waterfall you can step behind. Off the south rim of the Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, a tall, narrow ribbon of water pours roughly 200 feet down the basalt wall, and a short trail leads to a ledge that runs directly behind the falling curtain, letting you look out at the canyon through a veil of water.
It is a small adventure with an outsized reward. The walk is easy, less than a mile, but standing in the cool spray behind a 200-foot waterfall feels like a secret, especially given how close it is to town. Unusually, the falls run reliably through the warm months, kept alive by the region's irrigation.
What Guests Love
- Walking directly behind a roughly 200-foot curtain of falling water
- A short, easy trail that leads to a genuinely dramatic payoff
- The cool mist and the roar of the falls tucked into the canyon wall
- Its closeness to the Perrine Bridge and the rest of the Twin Falls canyon sights
Worth Knowing
- The rocks behind and around the falls stay wet and slick, so tread carefully and wear grippy shoes
- The path can be muddy and includes a short, sometimes slippery scramble
- Because it is fed largely by irrigation return water, the falls flow through the warm season even when natural streams run low
- There is no fee, but parking is limited, so arrive early on busy weekends
Details
Twin Falls, ID
Learn about Perrine Coulee Waterfall
A waterfall fed by farming
Perrine Coulee owes its steady flow to a very human source. Much of its water is irrigation return, the runoff from the vast farmlands of the Snake River Plain that gather in the coulee and spill over the canyon rim.
That is why the falls keep flowing through summer and into fall, when many natural streams in this dry country have dwindled. It is a genuinely pretty accident of the irrigation systems that turned the desert Magic Valley into farm country.
The walk behind the falls
The short trail drops below the canyon rim and traces along to the falls, where the path continues onto a ledge that passes behind the water. From there you get the classic view, the canyon framed through a shimmering sheet of falling water.
The footing near the falls is wet and can be slick, with a bit of easy scrambling, so good shoes and a little care make the difference. Expect to get misted.
The canyon setting
The falls are part of the larger Snake River Canyon, the deep basalt gorge cut by the river and the ancient Bonneville Flood. Springs and seeps line these walls, feeding the greenery that clings to the cliffs.
Birds work the canyon air, and the river and its trails lie just below, connecting Perrine Coulee to the wider network of Twin Falls canyon sights.
When to visit
Late spring through early fall is the reliable window, when the irrigation-fed flow is strongest and the trail is dry enough to enjoy. Midday light can put a rainbow in the mist.
Pair it with the Perrine Bridge and Shoshone Falls for a half-day tour of the Twin Falls canyon, and go early to beat the small parking area's crowds.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Twin Falls
Perrine Bridge
About 1 mile east
The canyon-spanning bridge nearly 500 feet above the Snake River, famous for year-round BASE jumping.
Shoshone Falls
About 6 miles east
A Snake River waterfall taller than Niagara, at its thundering best in spring and early summer.
Centennial Waterfront Park
Down in the canyon
A riverside park on the canyon floor below the bridge, with kayak and paddleboard rentals and access to the water.