Shoshone Ice Caves

Useful Information

Location:	1561 N Hwy 75, Shoshone, ID 83352. 27 km north of Shoshone. Hwy. 75. (43.166509, -114.340784)
Open:	currently closed for renovation. MAY to SEP daily 10-18. Tours every hour on the hour. [2026]
Fee:	Adults USD 15, Children (4-12) USD 10, Children (0-3) free. Groups (20+): 20 % discount. [2025]
Classification:	Lava Tube Ice cave
Light:	LED
Dimension:	L=305 m.
Guided tours:	L=1,200 m, St=160, D=45 min. V=15,000/a [2005] V=12,000/a [2019]
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Shoshone Ice Caves, the Ice Cave Company, 1561 N Hwy 75, Shoshone, ID 83352, Tel: +1-208-886-2058. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1880s	the caves were an ice source for the town of Shoshone.
1940s	overdevelopment and a poorly placed access tunnel melted the entire ice.
1950s	acquired by the Robinson family.
1962	ice effect restored by Russell Robinson.
2019	sold to the current owners, Shane Wallace and Shelly Adamson.
	new LED light system installed.
2026	closed for renovation of the trails.

Description

Shoshone Ice Caves is a lava tube with the typical collapsed roof serving as an entrance. The cold trap effect and the extremely different temperatures in Idaho between summer and winter make it a perfect ice cave. The cold air flowing down into the cave during winter freezes all water entering the cave through fractures, producing a continuous layer of ice. The temperature inside the cave is constant. although it differs between different parts of the cave between -7 °C and 0.5 °C. At the same time the outside temperature may reach 37 °C. Warm clothes and sturdy shoes are a good idea.

This lava tube is - as it is typical for this kind of cave - a single tube, almost straight, and more than 300 m long. The passage is up to 12 m high and between 3 and 10 m wide. The path is built as a wooden bridge above the thick layer of ice covering almost the whole cave floor. The cave ends with a wall of ice.

The caves are called a "tourist trap" in some sources. Obviously the cave is a unique sight which is very interesting, still it is not very spectacular. The owners tried to improve the cave by installing various sculptures outside and even some dioramas inside the cave. The ones inside, like the skating girl and yesteryear’s elf, were fortunately removed. Still there are a green dinosaur with a cave man sitting on its neck, a three-story-high Chief Wasakie statue and a bull at the museum entrance which have survived. Concrete sculptures of early natives, stone age (ice) cave men and women, stand along the path down to the cave. Although they are of doubtful beauty, they are a great fun for children.

This cave was originally a source of ice for the people living in the area. They not only removed more ice than was naturally formed, they also constructed a tunnel for easy access which changed the cave temperature and so the ice started to melt. In the 1940s the ice was almost completely gone. The cave was purchased by the Robinson family in the 1950s and since 1962 Russell Robinson tried to restore the original ice cave. He changed various things, including a wall and door for the tunnel, which restored the original ice trap and the ice started to reform. He also operated the cave as a show cave, and is obviously the originator of the various artworks. The cave was operated by various members of the family until 2019 when it was finally sold to the current owners.

The cave was closed in 2026 for renovation, which is actually not yet fully financed. The elevated trails were built of wood many decades ago and have reached the end of their usable life. So the plan is to replace them completely with a modern system of trails which on one hand preserves the cave while meeting modern safety standards. The cave has less than 15,000 visitors per year, which is obviously not sufficient for such a massive investment. The owners currently ask for support by sponsors and the community, in other words the reopening depends on additional funding. We can only hope they can raise the necessary money, otherwise the cave will stay closed.

The place is mentioned in various legends and even said to be haunted. The Indian Princess Edahow was buried in the ice, and waits patiently to reemerge. About the same category is the story of the cave bear found inside the cave. Cave bears did not live in America, they are only found in Europe.

Nearby Shoshone Ice Caves is Bennett Hills Recreation Management Area which has fourteen lava tubes. One of them, called T-Maze Caves is accessible for visitors but undeveloped. There is also a cave which is the best example of a Speleology blister cave in Idaho. This area is administered by the Bureau of Land Management.