Mesa Falls is located in Eastern Idaho about 17 miles north of the town of Ashton, ID. There are…read moretwo parts to the falls...Upper and Lower Mesa Falls.
The Upper is the crowning moment of visiting.
There's a boardwalk pathway circling the canyon rim of Upper Mesa Falls. Along the way, there are multiple vista point lookouts from high above to appreciate the forest canyon surroundings.
Upper Mesa Falls measures 114 feet tall and spans 200 feet wide. Before thinking about checking out Lower Mesa Falls, I'd suggest stopping here at the Upper Falls. It's where the Big Falls Inn is located which acts as the Visitor Center. The Big Falls Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a giant cabin and the unofficial starting point of Mesa Falls.
When arriving, you can stop inside and ask staff questions about the falls plus there's chances to purchase souvenirs, drinks and snacks.
Then it's time to follow the trail to Mesa Falls. Basically, the highlight experience is standing beside the pinnacle of it all...and that's Upper Mesa Falls. Once finished with the Upper Falls, you can continue along the canyon rim to arrive at Lower Mesa Falls. But, Lower Mesa Falls wasn't nearly as dramatic as the Upper. Just throwing this cautionary note out there, so you won't be disappointed after coming off the wonderful perspectives at the Upper Falls.
Instead of continuing along the canyon rim pathway to Lower Mesa Falls, you can return to your car and drive 1 mile down the road to reach the falls overlook point.
Upper and Lower Mesa Falls had distinct comparisons. The Upper was crowded with families and it had me questioning who out there was visiting Eastern Idaho??? Yet, it was busy for July.
Now, coming over to the Lower Falls, it was a ghost town. Barely a car in the parking lot. For a moment I questioned if I was at the right location. But yeah, the Lower Falls had no visitors. Meanwhile, back at the Upper Falls, I had to use the Overflow Parking Lot because of the congestion.
Speaking of parking...it's $5 entrance for day use. They ask you to pay immediately at the entrance station by filling out a payment slip and dropping it into a box before starting your explorations. Only payment options are exactly $5 or by using a check. They don't accept credit cards.
If you'd like to do some hiking, back at the Upper Falls section is the Mesa Nature Trail. It's a 2 mile out and back hike that's rated as easy. There's no elevation and it's suitable for everyone.
Important point to make...a lot of people think that hiking the Mesa Nature Trail will lead from the Upper Falls down to the Lower Falls. But in fact, that's not the case. The trail is just a hike to appreciate the great outdoors.
I believe it's by following the RIM PATHWAY from the Upper Falls that leads you to the Lower Falls and parking lot. I found this confusing and ultimately just returned to my car and drove myself to Lower Mesa Falls.
There is camping if interested. Grandview Campground is situated right next to Lower Mesa Falls. It was entirely full when I showed up in July.
There was slight cell phone reception. While walking around the Upper Falls, there were no bars, but the closer out towards the road offered better connection possibilities.
If you're specifically here to see the falls, maybe you need two hours to enjoy the sceneries. You can make it into a quick half day side trip if you're coming out to Grand Teton National Park, only 91 miles away. The west entrance to Yellowstone NP is just 50 miles away.
Overall, it's Upper Mesa Falls that makes visiting special. It's where you'll get the most bang for your buck. And then, it was just surprising to see how far off in the distance Lower Mesa Falls was. I would think they'd find a more accessible way to reach the Lower Falls, like how they have the charming boardwalk pathway at the Upper Falls rim.
In the end, just being outside enjoying nature is what matters. Some highlights are memorable and some can't always live up to expectations.
