Visiting Southeast Idaho

What a random place…. Southeast Idaho. You may not traditionally think of SE Idaho as a destination but hopefully I can convince you that there are adventures to be had. Here are my top favorite things to do in SE Idaho.

1. Driggs, Idaho – Driggs is such a beautiful town. It’s actually where my mom grew up and her mom still owns a home. Since I was young we would visit often and I have seen it grow from a small town in Idaho in to a little bit of a resort town. It sits at the base of the Tetons and in fact my grandmas house sits on the road that separates Idaho from Wyoming. In Driggs you have great restaurant choices ranging from great little burger places to upscale thai food. Driggs is also close to the Tetons and grand Targhee so there are many hikes and slopes to have fun on. One of my favorite things to do is go up Darby Canyon. There is a campground up there used for boy and girl scouts in the summer and they have these giant play ground slides that run down a huge hill. When no ones at the campground it’s a blast to take wax paper and see how fast you can get going down these huge slides. It’s great fun for both adults and children.
   
2. Lava Hot Springs – Lava Hot Springs is located a few miles outside of Pocatello. You can choose to relax in the gorgeous springs or head to the pool where you can dive off a 10 meter high platform. This is another great location for kids and adults alike.
3. Mesa Falls – Mesa falls is  gorgeous waterfall where you can do some hiking. This power waterfall has great view points that are very easily accessible. This is a great day trip to bring a picnic too and enjoy your lunch with the sound of a gushing waterfall behind you.
   
4. Ice Caves – The Ice Caves are located north of Rexburg Idaho and you need four wheel drive to get to it. It’s this awesome cave filled with ice that you can climb back in to. It’s not too long but there are some challenging parts to get past. Make sure to dress warm and bring gloves!
5. Bridge/Cliff Jumping – I can’t explain why but I love jumping off of high things into a body of water. SE Idaho is a great spot to do this. There is Funny Farm Bridge which is in St. Anthony and you can jump off the bottom part of it or if you’re crazy you can climb to the top and jump. This one you do have to be careful because at times the river current is strong. If you are not a strong swimmer I would not suggest jumping here. Then there is Monkey Rock which is a great swimming hole. Right near it is a bridge to jump from that can give you a great thrill. Finally there is Ririe Reservoir which is a beautiful lake in what seems to be the middle of no where. The lake has giant rocks and cliffs surrounding it where you can get a good jump. Always remember when jumping anywhere to check the current and the depth of the water you’re jumping in to. Stay safe!
   
6. Sand Dues – In St. Anthony there are sand dunes that stretch for a few miles. Here you can go dune sledding, ATVing, or even have bonfires at night. These sand dunes are a blast any time of the year any time of the day. Just be sure when having a bon fire not to burn pallets. They are really sticklers about this and for a good reason. The nails in those pallets are then left after the fire and can get buried in the sand for someone to potentially step on.