How to Explore Box Canyon Springs in Idaho

A hidden oasis tucked away in the middle of a desert landscape, Box Canyon Springs, one of the units of Thousand Springs State Park is a sight to be seen. It is home to an impressive basalt canyon, stunning waterfalls and gorgeous natural spring pools gleaming turquoise under Idaho’s sunshine. Despite how beautiful it is, not many people know about this place. Box Canyon Springs is a local’s secret and our favorite park out of all the parks in Thousand Springs State Park.

Note: Please make sure to respect this beautiful place and the surrounding areas. Always practice LEAVE NO TRACE. This means no loud music, no graffiti, no taking artifacts or fossilized items, and pack out what you pack in! Please help us protect this place for generations to come!

Stats

Where

Box Canyon Springs
3401-3489 W Point Rd, Wendell, ID
Coords: 42°42’35.2″N 114°47’30.6″W

Drop in point: 42°42’19.2″N 114°48’29.7″W

Parking

There are a couple of paved lots with decent sized.

Restroom

Porta potties at the gate entrance and main parking lot

Fee

There is only a $7 fee that’s good for the entire day to visit. This fee will get you into the other components of Thousand Springs if purchased at Malad Gorge.

Important Things

Watch out for bugs, poison ivy and stinging nettle along the trail.
Make sure to wear proper hiking shoes. It gets muddy.

Distance

2.9 miles if doing the whole loop.
2.41mi out and back
If you starting from outside the gate, add an extra 2 miles R.T.

Elevation Gain

396 ft

Level

Moderate

Time:

2-3 hours

Pet-friendly

You can bring your pet, but they have to be on leashed.

Ideal Time

April through September

Weather

Video

Getting to Box Canyon Springs

Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve is located on W Point Road, about 15 minutes drive from Malad Gorge Park, another unit of Thousand Springs State Park. You can use the address above to map your way there.
Once on W Point Road, you can see a small parking lot with the sign “State Park Fee Area”. There is an entrance gate and an information kiosk right behind this parking lot. You can park here and walk-in, however, it is about 0.7 miles each way to the main parking lot and the start of the trail. Please note that Box Canyon Springs State Park has closing hours that might change depending on when you visit. It was 5 pm when we were there.
From the entrance gate, follow the paved road to the main parking lot, which will place you right at the beginning of the canyon. There is a reserved lot about 700ft before if the parking lot is full.

The Viewpoint

Once we first got to the parking lot, we didn’t know what to expect. The whole place looks flat and barren. After noticing the small lookout, we headed over to see what it was about. We definitely did not expect the gorgeous turquoise pools below. The clear water was glistening under the bright sun, changing from blue to teal, depending on how much sunlight there was. Green vegetations are surround the blue pools, a stark contrast against the dark basalt canyon walls.

A lot of people turn back after looking down the viewpoint, however, to experience the magic of Box Canyon Springs, you’ll have to hike down to the bottom of the canyon. And that is exactly what we did. From this viewpoint, you can see a ladder crossing over a wired fence. This is the start of the trail.

The Start of the Trail

We cross over the ladder and follow the dirt road for about 0.3 miles. Even though the views from the top of the canyon are quite barren, the views below the canyon are completely different. Green vegetation lining the refreshing blue water, cutting through the impressive canyon walls. It was definitely worth stopping along the way for photos.

Do you know that the water here originated from the Snake River Plain Aquifer? The springs here flow at 180,000 gallons a minute, making it the 11th largest spring in the United States! Since the water must flow through cracks and crevices of the basalt rocks, which contain the aquifer, the water here is very pure. You can tell how healthy the stream health is based on the bright light green plant, Water Veronica, in the water.

The Way Down

At around 0.3 miles, keep an eye out for a small, worn trail that leads down to the bottom of the canyon. There is a caution sign at the beginning of this trail. It was pretty easy to spot it, we didn’t have any problem. There are metal railings running along the path. Make sure to take your time and wear shoes with good traction. The way down can get steep and pretty slippery. When we were leaving, we ran into some tourists that tried to hike down in their flats. It wasn’t a good idea…

Once we got down to the bottom of the canyon, we followed a used trail to the left. This part of the trail for Box Canyon Springs can be overgrown at times but never disappear completely. And you won’t get lost easily, just follow along the water. It also gets pretty rocky and can be muddy here. You might need to do some minor scrambling.

Waterfalls

As you hike along this unmaintained trail, you can start hearing the sound of water rushing. Then you’ll start to see these gorgeous waterfalls, about 20ft tall. It is a lot wider than it was tall. This spot is my favorite spot in Box Canyon Springs. You can actually hike down and get pretty close to the waterfalls. We don’t recommend going too close since the current can get pretty strong but you can get close enough to feel the mist. It reminds us of a mini version of Shoshone Falls. Watch out for poison ivy and stinging nettle. Dustin brushed against the stinging nettle and ended up with a throbbing pain in his hand for quite some time.

The Big Pool

After the waterfalls, we continue to follow the trail around the bend of the canyon wall to a wooden bridge. The trail crosses over this bridge to the other side of the creek. As soon as we were on the other side, the trail then wrapped around a beautiful blue pool. The water is so clear that you can see all the tree roots at the bottom. There are also small waterfalls coming out from the river banks. It was quite interesting. This gorgeous blue pool is the perfect place to hang out and take a dip. The water was super refreshing on a warm day.

At the end of this blue pool is a man-made structure that looks like a strainer. You can cross over this to go to the other side of the pool. It is also the start of the loopback. You can follow this trail. It will go toward Snake River and then loop back to the top of the canyon and join back up with the same trail you took in. The loop will add about 0.5 miles to your distance. We actually return the same way we used to get here. This route is a lot prettier and we wanted to spend more time at the waterfalls. You can choose whichever route you prefer.

We have to say, we were completely blown away by how beautiful Box Canyon Springs State Park was. We definitely weren’t expecting it. Beautiful waterfalls, gorgeous jewel-toned pools, refreshing springs that you can swim in, I mean, what else can you ask for? If you’re in the area, don’t forget to stop by Malad Gorge, another unit of Thousand Springs State Park. For another epic waterfall, go kayak to the bottom of Shoshone Falls. If you have extra time, we recommend visiting Crater of the Moon as well.

These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.