Shoshone Ice Caves
Lava Tube · Shoshone, Idaho
A collapsed lava tube sixteen miles north of Shoshone, just west of Highway 75 in the black basalt of the Snake River Plain, holding an underground lake of ice that does not melt. The temperature inside sits between about twenty-five and thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit all year, which is a temperature anomaly rather than a coincidence: the shape of the collapsed tube channels air through it in a way that pumps cold in and traps it. You go in on a guided tour of about forty-five minutes and there is no other way to see it.
1561 North Highway 75, Shoshone, Idaho, 83352, United States
⚠ OPEN DAILY FROM ROUGHLY MAY TO SEPTEMBER AND CLOSED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR - this is the fact that decides whether a visit is possible. GUIDED TOURS ONLY, about forty-five minutes, running at intervals through the day in season; there is no self-guided access. Tickets are bought on site for the next available tour, first come first served. ⚠ CHECK THAT IT IS OPEN BEFORE DRIVING OUT - it is a small privately run operation sixteen miles north of Shoshone and its hours and opening dates have varied. NO FEDERAL OR INTERAGENCY PASS APPLIES; this is private land, not a public site. ⚠ THE CAVE SITS BETWEEN ABOUT 25 AND 35 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT ALL YEAR - bring a proper coat and shoes with grip. Bring cash as well as a card.
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