Mogensen Trail is a 2.5-mile there-and-back hike and mostly flat, except for the steep elevation near the trailhead. The trailhead is located on Canyon Springs Rd in Twin Falls, ID. This trail can be hectic, and parking is limited. The earlier you arrive, the better chance of getting a parking spot, especially on a weekend in the non-winter months. This hike has two main attractions. First, there are a few waterfalls along this trail. They range from smaller and close to distant and extremely tall and majestic looking. Second, if you go on the right days, you’ll most likely see base jumpers leaping from the Perrine Bridge and floating to the landing zone along the trail. It truly is an amazing experience.

The Approach

Turn onto Canyon Springs Rd and begin to head down into the canyon. You’ll make a tight right turn; if you look behind you over your left shoulder, you’ll see Perrine-Coulee Falls. Keep following the road, and you’ll come to the next tight bend. Straight ahead is the small dirt parking area for Mogensen Trail. If it is full, you can turn around and try to get a spot in the even smaller Perrine-Coulee Falls parking area, or you can continue into the canyon to find a parking spot. I would recommend looking for parking in that order.

Challenges

• There is a steep descent into the canyon and ascent out of the canyon near the trailhead.

• There are some stairs with railings, but they could be better. The steps are incredibly narrow and are not level.

• Some sections of the trail are very uneven and may have tripping hazards.

• On this trip, we encountered a homeless camp along the river with very questionable odors of various kinds wafting about the breeze. I was concerned about safety, and we didn’t linger in this location.

Equipment

• Sunscreen

• Hat (optional)

• Bug Spray

• Good hiking shoes/boots

• Sunglasses (recommended for looking at the base jumpers as they fly down to the landing zone from the bridge above)

• Camera (recommended for capturing the base jumpers)

The Trail

The trailhead begins on the east side of the parking lot. It is clearly marked. It starts as an easy downward slope through some vegetation. There is a great little spot to scamper up to an overlook where you can get great canyon shots, especially at sunrise. You will begin the real descent into the canyon right after this point.

It starts with a more rapid decline in the trail, which leads promptly to the stairs. Metal steps bolted into the rock walls and affixed to the rocks below create a slightly more navigable descent path. The steps are narrow; sometimes, only my heel would make contact. If this concerns you, turning around does make things easier. No matter your method of descent, go as slow or fast as your comfort level permits.

At the bottom of the steps is a narrow wood bridge that is easy to traverse, the other side of which is the trail that continues to lead down into the canyon but at a more gentle slope. Along this section, you come to a small stream crossing with a small wooden bridge to assist. Above you will be the first waterfall. Depending on the season and the amount of flow, this waterfall can be quaint and intricate or rushing and powerful. This trip, it was the latter. We were misted as the water careened over the rocks above in a rushing torrent. Scarcely able to speak to one another over the deluge, we shouted about the difference between this flow and the previous trip to this trail. The differences made it almost unrecognizable except for the surrounding landmarks of the small wood bridge and now nearly overgrown alcove below the falls.

Further down, the trail leads to a clearing under a canopy of trees right at the edge of the Snake River. The location has a picturesque panoramic view of the canyon cliffs to the north across the vast expanse of the mighty Snake. This clearing can be lovely, but as mentioned above, it was covered with trash, tarps, and foul odors from a makeshift homeless camp on this trip. Should you visit and it has been cleared, I highly recommend stopping to take in the view. The shade of the trees and the cool breeze coming off the river make it an excellent rest stop.

Further along the trail, you begin to approach the Perrine Bridge. If there are base jumpers, you will likely hear the gunshot-like sound as their parachute unfurls with a loud whoosh-crack sound. The foliage begins to thin, and the view opens into a grassy field where the base jumpers float down from the bridge towards the landing zone a little further ahead. As you pass under the bridge, the view shifts. Base jumpers bustle about with their gear to get it packed enough to scramble up the rock wall under the bridge so they can quickly jump again. The Grassy field opens up even more to an expansive view. This lush green area in the spring gives off a Jurassic Park vibe. In the distance, waterfalls stream down the steep cliff walls of lava rock.

Fun Fact: The canyon in Twin Falls is cut in Qaurternary basalt. The dark rock at the bottom of the canyon is 6.25 million years old. The basalts that cover the rock are as young as 200,000 years old.

If there are base jumpers, take some time to get some pictures, record some video, and just take in the exciting activity as it plays out above and around you. If you want to ensure there are base jumpers when you visit, you can look for events happening at Perrine Bridge. I know of one event that occurs yearly called 22jumps. It supports a great cause, and some truly wonderful people participate. We stumbled upon this event during this trip and were thrilled to see so many people involved. While there, we were even recruited to assist one of the jumpers as he proposed to his girlfriend. It was a surprising and incredibly eventful hike.

This wasn’t the end, though. The trail still goes on for a short distance to give you a better view of the tallest visible waterfall in the area. I recommend hiking the last 100 yards from the base jump landing area to the end of the trail to get the view, the icing on the delicious cake that is the Mogensen Trail hike.

Summary

There is a reason we have hiked this trail twice. It is hard to beat the waterfalls, the views, the base jumpers, and the surprises that this hike avails itself to. We genuinely love it and think you would, too. It is accessible, being right in town, with only the difficulty of the stair section to contend with…and maybe the parking. When there are a lot of base jumpers, it appears some people go down to the landing zone with a picnic and make a day of it. If you can, maybe you can pack some snacks to share with the jumpers. They often supply their own, but I’m sure they would appreciate the support if you’re inclined. Overall, this hike is one of our favorites. If you get the chance to check it out, it might become one of yours as well. There is indeed a treasure trove of places and activities throughout Idaho. We have only scratched the surface and can’t wait to share our next adventure.