4 milers - *AWOL Boat Ride & Kayak Tour : $80/person plus tax, boat ride back and forth and shorter kayak (boat 1/2 of route kayak 1/2 of route) strongly recommend to most abilities.

8 milers - AWOL Tandem Kayak 8 milers: $30/person plus tax, kayaking full length of the route on your own power. (great for fit, experienced kayakers) or can bring own kayak but strongly recommend a tandem sit in side

Camping - 1000 Springs Resort: $3/person

Activities:

Swimming at Dierkes Park - Dierkes Park is located above Shoshone Falls and is a great public area for swimming and cliff jumping. Shallow areas and grassy beach. Public bathrooms for changing. Can just sit on grass and eat your lunch. Next level, swim around a bit. You will probably want to once you see this place. Great beginner and intermediate cliff jumping places right next to where we will eat lunch.

Tips:

Make sure to put Dierkes Park address in your car gps before you go down in to the canyon. Parts of the canyon don’t have service so if you try to plug it in to your gps once you get down there it may not work.
You will see a booth, you can pay $5/car with debit or credit card or cash. They don’t accept Parks passes
After the booth, the road splits, go right. This takes you to Dierkes Park. At the park, have lunch in the shade by the water and wait for the group to arrive.
This is a great family hang out location. Quick road trip stop off to play on your way north.I encourage you to enjoy your vacay. Pop on your swimsuit and play here for a bit because this is the most shallow water there will be on the trip so likely warmest.
Go out to the white flotilla. Get pics of each other jumping off the dock.Then change in the bathroom and head out to Miracle Hot Springs

Kayak Shoshone Falls - 2 routes

8 mile paddle - Start at Centential Park. Rent from AWOL or bring your own and put in on right shoreline. Parking. Bathrooms. 6 hrs. Tandem sit- insides went faster than solos and were lighter to carry over Pillar Falls. You will want to bring 3 L water. Sunscreen, lunch, snacks, wide brim hat & sunglasses. 2 miles to Pillar Falls. At Pillar, Dock on far right at dirt trail NOT on rocks. You walk through water a bunch so it is not always clear where to go. Stay far right. Carry your kayaks.

Then 2 miles to Shoshone Falls. Mess around, enjoy, swim to the left of the falls. 2 mile kayak back to Pillar. 2 mile back to Centennial. 3 pm wind picked up and made it harder to paddle back.

4 mile paddle with Boat Tour - Start at Centenial Park and rent kayak from AWOL. Boat will bring you to Pillar Falls and short 0.5 mile hike. Kayak 2 miles one way to Shoshone Falls with guide and return. Boat Tour: 3 hrs. 4 miles kayaking 20 min boat ride to Pillar Falls. Drink their complimentary waters. 15 min hike along Pillar Falls. I don’t think we will be carrying our own kayaks here, they said they take them out. They were already out and no need to carry on the recon. This short hike does concern me with major knee injuries. It is fairly level but lots of stepping up and down on rocks with slippery puddle/water hiking where you can’t see what you are walking on. 45 min kayak to the falls. Farther than Blue Heart to get to, maybe that distance plus a 1/3. Water is fairly flat so tipping over is very rare. 30-45 min mess around at the falls. No motorized boats are allowed here so it makes it more secluded. Guides supervise but can go up fairly close to falls. Don’t get closer than 20ft, current would suck you in. Swim to the side of the falls as a group or optional easy cliff jump off a boulder. 45 min-ish kayak back to Pillar Falls. May be a bit trickier as you are going upstream. Still, I haven’t done arm exercises in who knows how long and this was doable.

Gaia Kayak Route for Shoshone Falls

What to expect Kayaking Shoshone Falls

Safety Tips:

Cliff Diving - there are some areas that look like they would be good but actually have shallow rock 12-15 ft under
Getting pulled into the waterfall undertow and drowning. I just have people stay 20 ft away from actual falls while in your kayak. The boat tour guides will say the same.

Hike Perinne Falls - Perfect kid hike! You will be glad to know about this place for your next trip north. It is very slippery with a steep downhill at the beginning. Bad knees, you can see it all from the trailhead. Just chill and watch. Everyone else head down, trail goes to flat dirt 40-50 ft down. Can go behind waterfall. May get misted on.

Bathrooms: At all locations

Cell Service: Not at campground nor actual kayaking in canyon to Shoshone Falls.

Gear: swimsuit, sunscreen, long sleeve synthetic shirt, water shoes, kayak and/or paddleboard (can rent), tent, sleeping bag, pad, change of clothes, change of swimsuit/water gear for next day, sunglasses, pillow. If taking a shower (kinda dumpy showers fyi): towel, shampoo & conditioner, lotion, wear watershoes in shower. Waterproof phone case (optional), Dry bag or small pack to attach to kayak. 2L water for Boat Tour people, 3L water for 8 miles. Sunscreen!

Tip: Good to reserve boat tours/kayaks few months in advance.

Rentals:

AWOL Boat Ride & Kayak Tour

(recommend sit inside tandem if doing advanced route)

Overlook