Upper Mesa Falls, Waterfall in Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Idaho, US.
Upper Mesa Falls is a waterfall on the Henrys Fork of the Snake River that plunges 35 meters while spanning 61 meters across. It sits at roughly 1,700 meters elevation in forested terrain on the eastern side of the caldera region.
The falls formed through volcanic activity around 1.3 million years ago when rhyolitic eruptions created the Mesa Falls Tuff rock layer. This volcanic formation continues to shape the cascade we see today.
The area holds significance for the Shoshone and Bannock peoples who used these lands for generations. Visitors today can learn about this heritage through interpretive signs and information shared at nearby facilities.
A boardwalk with observation platforms connects the best viewing points via a short loop trail of about one kilometer. Access is easy from Mesa Falls Scenic Byway and multiple spots allow for photography and rest.
Unlike many other waterfalls in the region, this one remains unmodified by dams or power plants. Water flows in its original pattern over the volcanic rock layers just as it has for thousands of years.
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