Mesa Falls
Mesa Falls Worth a Side Trip.
2 million years ago, the Yellowstone Hot Spot laid beneath the Island Park area creating huge volcanic eruptions. 1.3 million years ago, one of these events spewed ash into the air, creating an ash layer many hundreds of feet deep. This ash compressed into the Mesa Falls Tuff that is seen on the far side of the river. more info
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Premier Fly Fishing - Guides & Shop in Ashton ID
Stop in Premier's full service fly shop located on Hwy 20 in Ashton, just 2 miles from the Henry's Fork. Plus rental pontoon boats ($50/day) or drift boats ($130/day).
(208) 652-7349
Trout Hunter Fly Shop - Report on Henry's Fork
Inspired by Rene Harrop, we have the best guides and fly shop specializing in the Henry's Fork, Henry's Lake and Yellowstone backcountry. HQ'd in Last Chance on the Henry's.
(208) 558-9900
Mesa Falls
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Between 200,000 and 600,000 years ago, the river eroded a wide canyon which was subsequently partly filled with basalt lava flows. These columnar basalts are seen on this side of the river and create the bench that Big Falls Inn sits on. The Henry's Fork then carved the channel through the basalt which is the inner canyon we see today.
Mesa Falls Tuff is the rock over which Mesa Falls cascades. The Falls are 114 feet high. For public safety please stay on the
walkways at all times.
Native Americans used the upper Snake River Valley before the arrival of the whites. Artifacts have been found on the Targhee Forest dating back 10-12,000 years. The area around Mesa Falls was a hunting and gathering site for the Shoshone and Bannock tribes of Eastern Idaho.
In 1901, John Henry Hendricks homesteaded the site. He paid $200 for 160 acres. He built a small cabin, and moved his family in. Hendricks drove a stagecoach for Yellowstone Park, and worked in a sawmill near Warm River in the winter, forcing him to be away from his young family much of the time. The isolation and fear for her children around the cliffs and fast water made his wife, Clara, eager to move.
In 1904, immediately after proving up, Hendricks sold the property to Thomas Elliott, of the Snake River Power and Light Co. for stock and cash.
Elliot was the man who built Big Falls Inn, probably to be the headquarters for his power company. He and his series of power companies owned the site for 32 years, until he sold it to Montana Power in 1936. His dreams of a power dam were never fulfilled, and the lodge became a stage stop and hotel for the increasing tourist traffic to Yellowstone. In 1986, the Forest Service acquired the property from Montana Power through a land exchange.
The lodge has been a cafe, saloon, dance hall, employee retreat, boy scout camp, and a police lodge and is now being rehabilitated to be an interpretive center.
Work began on the lodge in 1997, The Forest Service Historic Preservation team began replacing windowsills and the intricate shingle work on the gable ends of the building.
The bulk of the restoration work was performed by Harris Construction of Pocatello, Idaho, supervised by Marv Carollo in the summer of 1998. The interpretive center will be open late in 1999.
The Mesa Falls Scenic Loop, a 28 mile road that winds through farmland, open meadows, timber and clearcuts is being rebuilt in phases over the years 1998-2000. This road illustrates the beauty and many uses of the Targhee National Forest.
Lower Mesa Falls, one mile south of the entrance to the Upper Falls, features the Grandview overlook built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. Young men came west from all over the country during the harsh days of the depression. They lived in camps and spent long hours working on Forest Service and other government projects. There is a spectacular view of the 65 ft. lower falls.
Osprey and other birds of prey including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, turkey vultures and many species of hawks are seen in the canyon. Visitors with sharp eyes can often see the osprey fishing below the falls.
A succession of wildflowers bloom throughout the season at Mesa Falls. From the first glacier lilies to the last asters and snowberries of the fall, there is a flower to every season. A walk on any of the trails around either upper or lower falls reveals the profusion of wildflowers.
Distances from Mesa Falls:
Yellowstone Park 51ml.
Ashton 16mi.
Highway 20 12mi.
Mack's Inn 25mi.
Idaho Falls 68mi.
Lower Mesa Falls 1mi.
Distance around walkway 1/2 mi.
West Yellowstone, MT Weather
Currently Outside 27FChilly. |
Other pages you might find helpful:
Mesa Falls Marathon
The Mesa Falls Marathon, held the third week of August in Ashton, Idaho, is truly one of the 50 great Marathons in the nation.
