Twin Falls — Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026

I arrived at the trailhead around 10am and the lot was almost full, even with the rain pouring down. Two out of the three restrooms are open. The trail beyond the upper falls is closed due to a landslide/washout, there is red tape and a sign at the trailhead. 

The trail is in good condition where there is gravel or rock laid down, but there's quite a bit of mud and deep puddles. During this very squishy time, it's important to stay on the trail because cutting corners and skipping switchbacks, especially in such a popular area, leads to a lot of erosion. There's a big maple down across the trail in the middle of the steepest section, pictured below. It's easy enough to get underneath it. There is lots of evidence of the flooding with driftwood piled high in surprising places, but the water seems to back to "normal" levels for the time being.

Last time I wrote a report for this trail I mentioned the invasive blackberries, and sadly no local conservation groups were able to pull them, so areas that weren't terribly overrun are now reaching into the trail and getting overwhelming. It's very sad to see a space with so many natives and some old growth start to get taken over by invasive species. I wish we had more support for this kind of work. I'd happily join a crew.

I arrived back at the trailhead around 1pm and cars were stretching a little ways up the road, but there were still parking spaces. A beautiful, wet day!