Day Trips From Idaho Falls
Want some Idaho day trips starting from the Idaho Falls area? One of my favorite parts of living in Southeastern Idaho is how close we are to SO many different places! Here are some of my top ideas for day trips from Idaho Falls!
Idaho Day Trips: Starting From Idaho Falls
1. Swan Valley, Idaho
Swan Valley is only about 45 minutes from us and it’s one of my absolute favorite day trips from Idaho Falls! It’s GORGEOUS out there any time of year. There’s tons of hiking, fishing, camping, hunting - basically anything outdoorsy! The Snake River runs right through it, and Palisades Resevoir is close by. Palisades is a huge resevoir out here, and you can go boating, fishing, paddle boarding, and more on it.
Fun fact: it’s called Swan Valley because in the winter (usually November timeframe) the river fills up with swans. It’s so beautiful!
There’s also an ice cream shop in Swan Valley called Rainey Creek Store. The cool thing about it is that they use a square ice cream scoop, and everyone knows it as the square ice cream place! If you stop in Swan Valley, make sure you stop and get a scoop!
2. Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is only about an hour and a half away from Idaho Falls, so it’s a perfect day trip! Jackson Hole, the famous ski resort, is there, but the town of Jackson is super fun to explore too. It’s an old western town, and the square in Jackson is famous (with its arches made of antlers on all sides of the square!). They also reenact old western shootouts every night, which is definitely a must see if you’re there!
Tip: Million Dollar Cowboy Bar is a famous restaurant there, but if you want to try something different, Jackson Drug is our favorite place to eat there! It’s in an old drug store from the 1800s, and is right off the square. They’re known for their milkshakes and malts, and their burgers are amazing!
3. Grand Teton National Park
Close to Jackson is, of course, Grand Teton National Park! The Tetons are such a famous range of mountains, but you may not know they’re actually less than two hours away from Idaho Falls! They’re absolutely breathtaking in person, and they’re honestly worth a trip in itself, but if you’re in Jackson, you definitely have to go see them! It’s a beautiful drive through the park, and there’s also a visitor center you can go see too!
4. Yellowstone National Park
Of course this had to be on the list of day trips from Idaho Falls! Yellowstone is only about an hour and a half from the Idaho Falls area if you go up through the West Yellowstone entrance. We like to go through the West Yellowstone entrance and then go south to make a loop through the park. That way, you leave the park through the south entrance (north of Jackson, Wyoming). It’s a gorgeous drive and you can still stop and see some of the main sights in Yellowstone, like Old Faithful and a lot of the geysers!
5. Island Park, Idaho
Island Park is just about an hour from Idaho Falls, so it’s another great day trip (or weekend trip if you have more time!). If you’re into anything outdoorsy, Island Park has it! There’s tons of fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, boating, snowmobiling, and more. Island Park is such a fun place and has a ton of water surrounding it - in the summer, you can do a float on the “natural lazy river” and drive Rzrs or 4-wheelers around, and in the winter you can go sledding, snowmobile, snowshoeing, and more. If you haven’t been here before, highly recommend making Island Park a day trip or longer!
6. Hot Springs
There’s actually a lot of hot springs around Southeastern Idaho! Two of the big ones around here are Heise Hot Springs, which is only about half an hour from Idaho Falls, and Lava Hot Springs, which is about an hour and a half away.
Heise Hot Springs is nearby Ririe, Idaho. It’s a natural hot springs, and is kept around 104 degrees F. Lava Hot Springs is southeastern from Idaho Falls, and they have a few hot springs! They’re both great if you want a unique, relaxing day trip!
Have you been to any of these? If not, I definitely encourage you to go explore some of these day trips from Idaho Falls!
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