jump creek

I admit to not being much of a hiker; but I did buy a pair of hiking boots 20 years ago, so I dusted them off and along with my husband and son, we drove out to Jump Creek to enjoy the day. This was my second trip to explore where the first visit had us walking along the creek to view the waterfall. My son suggested we hike up the hill and take in the breathtaking vistas higher up. I won't lie, I did have to stop a few times for 'Kodak moments' (aka to catch my breath) but the steady incline was worth it. Beautiful views as far as the eye can see. Quite a lot of folks out enjoying the day along with a few well-behaved dogs accompanying their owners. The hike back down was a bit more challenging for me as I kept slipping. So I walked behind my husband and balanced myself by holding on to his shoulders. As it turned out, the tread had come completely off my hiking boots somewhere on the hike. LOL Guess its time for new boots!

Visited this place a couple weeks ago thinking it would be a cool day trip with the family, but it was way better than that! The waterfall is better than the pictures make it look and you can actually swim there, which was a surprise to me, even though it was very cold because it was overcast that day...but so worth it! The are like a million flies there and will swarm you, your car, and any type of food or snacks you bring, but just because of how beautiful it is, I will return. Be careful for the poison ivy/oak in the area and rattlesnakes in the summer. I didn't see any snakes and the leaves of three were not in my immediate area so that wasn't much of an issue. Very quiet and only a few other people came the whole time we were there, given it was a weekday. I hear the weekends are much busier.

Agood hiking spot, but remember your hiking shoes. Terrain is rough in places for those of us more mature in age. Spectacular views. Comfort station is rustic, but functional. The route is dusty, but easy to find with our phone GPS.

It takes 45 minutes from downtown Kuna or an hour from I-84 to drive to Jump Creek Canyon-and waterfall in Marsing, but the dusty drive through Wildlife Refuge and onto BLM private property is so worth it. You past vineyards, rock outcrops, and even a historical ferry stop at the Snake River. Seeing the 600 ft high craggy canyon impresses even the most bored teenagers. The trail is well marked. We hiked in water shoes and flip flops and loved stepping on stones to cross a couple little river beds. There are places all along the trail to get off road and explore the water and rocks below. It's only a quarter plus mild to get to the 60 foot fall. It is such a surprise after the dusty sagebrush trail. The water was cool, though a bit brown from the falls, but this didn't stop us from swimming. There are crawdads at the rocks near the falls and it didn't take long to befriend them and want them as pets. We spent an enjoyable hour. We would have stayed longer but 2 Families showed up. There was plenty space but we let them enjoy it on their own. Make sure to bring water to drink but please pack out your trash. If you want to leave the falls better than you found it, bring a trash bag and pick up a few plastic bottles that have been forgotten in the heady rush of beauty. Idaho is known as the Gem state for a reason as this off the beaten path was a gem!