Visit Idaho, USA and explore by region - Unravel Travel TV
Idaho is the 13th largest state in the union, covering 83,557 square miles.
Natural Wonder
• Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls is 212 feet high – 36 feet higher than Niagara Falls.
• At 7,900 feet, Hells Canyon is the deepest river-carved gorge in North America, deeper than even the Grand Canyon.
• The world’s densest populations of nesting eagles, hawks and falcons can be found at the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area.
• In Soda Springs you can find the largest captive geyser in the world – it erupts every hour on the hour, reaching heights of 100 feet.
• The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness is one of the largest wilderness areas in the Lower 48, second only to California’s Death Valley.
• A sand dune within Bruneau Dunes State Park rises 470 feet above the surrounding desert floor, making it the tallest single-structured sand dune in North America.
History and Heritage
• Idaho City was once the largest town in the Pacific Northwest it developed around gold mining in the 1860s.
• Farragut State Park, and adjoining Lake Pend Oreille, was home to a Naval Training Station during WWII.
• In the old West mining town of Wallace the entire downtown core is listed on the National Historic Register.
• Idaho had a nationally-renowned wine industry until Prohibition closed it down. Today, it is Idaho’s fastest growing agricultural industry with three AVAs in the state.
• The Oregon Trail ran right through southern Idaho, leaving behind historic landmarks and sites to explore.
• Idaho is home to six Native American tribes: The Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai of Idaho, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, Shoshone-Paiute and Lemhi-Shoshone tribes.
• Boise is home to one of the largest Basque communities in the United States, with nearly 16,000 people.
Quirky Tidbits
• Lewiston is the most inland seaport on the west coast, hosting cruise and cargo ships that travel up the Columbia River.
• There are more than 50 wineries in Idaho, producing more than 25 varietals of wine.
• Idaho is known as the “Gem State” because 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones can be found here, including some which can be found nowhere else in the world.
• The Wild Huckleberry is the state fruit, and can be found on menus throughout the region.
Geography
• Idaho is bordered by Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Montana.
• The highest elevation point is Mt. Borah at 12,662 feet, and the lowest is 738 feet above sea level in Lewiston.
• Idaho is home to more miles of whitewater than anywhere else in the continental U.S., making it a paddlers’ paradise.
• Idaho contains nearly 600 registered campsites, which include those within Idaho’s 30 state parks, 10 national forests and on other public lands.
• There are over 300 hot springs in Idaho with over 130 deemed soaker-friendly.
• Thirty one (31) scenic byways crisscross the state, highlighting stunning scenery and area histories.
Pop Culture
• Sun Valley Resort was America’s first destination ski resort (as well as where the first chairlifts were installed).
• Idaho claims the only state flag designed by a woman.
• The Perrine Bridge over the Snake River at Twin Falls is the only place in the country where BASE jumping (parachuting from a fixed structure) is allowed year-round without a permit.
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