Shoshone Indian Ice Caves - Twin Falls - TravBuddy

Out in the middle of nowhere in a barren area of Idaho about 45 minutes west of the Craters of the Moon National Reserve and 45 minutes north of Twin Falls is this unusual spot where volcanic lava tubes underground created ice due to their ability to hold the water that seeped in and the low flow of air that flowed through. This tube is huge. I would have to guess that it is nearly 100 feet in circumference.

It was here where a family discovered the ice caves back in the late 1800’s and tried to make profit from hauling out the ice for citizens in the towns nearby. But in doing so they opened up the entry to the cave and allowed more air to flow through which ended up melting all of the ice that occurred naturally with the low flow of air. The area was purchased by the Robinson family who did research and in 1962 closed the entry back off and soon the ice began to reappear.

Today the bottom of the cave is covered with about 25 feet of hard frozen ice.

The tour, which lasts about 45 minutes, takes you out along the desolate treeless area and down into the entryway which is just a crushed section of the volcanic tube. A narrow doorway has been created and a door with a spring to help keep it shut makes sure only a small amount of the outside air gets thru. The steps lead down into an area where the temperature never reaches above freezing and is sometimes down as low as 18 degrees, dependent upon the wind speed, not the outside temperature.

You walk along a wooden walkway suspended from the ceiling by wires. The guide points out some of the unusual things about the caves while you go about a hundred yards back into the depth. You then return back out the same way and back up to the surface.

While not an earth shattering experience (unless the cave collapses while you are in there) it is interesting and quite cool, which can be very nice when the temperature outside is above the 100 degree mark. Take a jacket.