Page Updated: July 18, 2023
Shoshone Ice Caves
Shoshone Ice Caves - Shoshone ID
Roughly 45 miles north of Shoshone Falls is Shoshone Ice Caves, one of the largest known lava ice caves in Idaho. Ice caves are bedrock caves that contain ice year round. These caves fill with dense cold air in the winter but have little air circulation in the summer, so the caves remain icy and cool year-round.
I was apprehensive on arrival as the curb appeal for the establishment is kind of hokey. The giant lime green dinosaur and oversized Shoshone Chief statue scream cheesy, but I’m sure they make good photo ops for tourists with kids.
Hokiness aside, the caves were the nerdy experience my inner science geek needed. Due to the natural phenomenon that creates ice caves, the temperature of Shoshone Ice Caves continually hovers around 26°; which was perfect since the above ground temperature this late June day was 80°.
Wooden bridges hanging from the ceiling kept us off the ice, and our tour guide covered relevant topics of history and geology as we were guided through the lava tube. One anecdote that sticks to memory is that of the “wishing well". Once upon a time, visitors to the caves were allowed to toss pennies onto a dedicated section of ice. When it was detected that each coin raises the temperature of the ice a fraction of a degree, the tradition was tossed in favor of ice preservation.
Shoshone Caves wasn’t our first cave tour, but it was our first ice cave. Our tour ran roughly 45min; 25 were underground. Overall the experience was worth it!
-b&b
Shoshone Falls
Craters of the Moon National Monument
