Things To Do In Idaho: Wolverine Canyon and Forty Horse Cave

While visiting family in Idaho we took some time to explore some old familiar places of my youth.  While my parents moved us around extensively as I was growing up, my extended family stayed put.  I was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho and that is the area where my extended family remains today.  My first home was in Shelley, Idaho and my grandparents lived there for decades until recently.  

That being said, it was time for me to show my wife and kids some of the fun things to do in the area that I experienced as a child.  Wolverine Canyon was our destination.

    
Our journey passes through 900 E. in Shelley heading south.  An old sugar factory is the landmark where you start heading south.  Along the way we stopped to photograph this cool old barn. 

The Blackfoot River cuts through old lava rock on the way into Wolverine Canyon.

On the way into the canyon we ran into this sign.  Apparently, the green energy folks and the pastural conservation crowd are wrangling with each other.

As much as I find wind energy interesting, I do think wind turbines would do a disservice to the vibe of this landscape. 

The canyon gradually narrows and provides a dramatic change in scenery from the endless wheat and potato fields of the Snake River Valley. 

A couple miles into the canyon you will come to Forty Horse Cave.  The name originates from a legend that some horse thief hid 40 of his ill gotten horses there to elude being caught.  Given the steep terrain, I doubt this legend is true.  Nevertheless, the hike is short and fun. 

We parked our car and headed up the hill.

You can see our car parked at the bottom of the hill.  The loose rock and dirt makes for a scramble on some parts of the hike. 

The cave itself is only about 25 or so feet deep.  It appears to be created by water erosion since there were many puddles in the dirt with water dripping from the ceiling of the cave.

There are two trails up.  We discovered the easier one on our way down.  The kids handled both of them well.

The geology and rock features make for an interesting hike.

The whole trip took us about 2.5 hours round trip starting from Idaho Falls.  It was great to share some of my childhood adventures with my own children.

If you are ever in the area and need directions on how to get there, let me know.