The Long Way
Fremont County
An aerial view of a wide waterfall flowing between rocky, forested banks.
Plate I. Upper Mesa Falls, Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. From visitidaho.org
A wide waterfall flowing through a forested canyon with a rainbow visible in the mist.
Plate II. Upper Mesa Falls, Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. From visitidaho.org
A large waterfall flows into a river with a visible rainbow in the mist.
Plate III. Upper Mesa Falls, Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. From ashtonidaho.com
A view of a powerful waterfall flowing between rocky cliffs and green vegetation.
Plate IV. Waterfall view, Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. From ashtonidaho.com
A full moon rises over a snowy mountain range.
Plate V. Teton Range view, Mesa Falls Scenic Byway. From ashtonidaho.com

Mesa Falls Scenic Byway

Ashton, Fremont County, Idaho. Scenic byway; Spring, Summer, Fall.

Details

Map. Ashton, Fremont County, Idaho. Larger map
Where
Ashton, Fremont County, ID. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there
The Mesa Falls Scenic Byway begins at the junction of U.S. 20 and Idaho 47, the northern termination of the Teton Scenic Byway in Ashton, Idaho.
Fees
Admission is charged to the Mesa Falls Recreation Area; the fee includes admission to Harriman State Park. Idaho Parks and Recreation passes and Harriman State Park passes are accepted.
Access
Byway runs through Caribou-Targhee National Forest; Mesa Falls Visitor Center (originally Big Falls Inn, built 1915) sits along the route.
Phone
Ashton Island Park Ranger District 208-652-7442
Managed by
Mesa Falls Recreation Area: jointly managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

Scenic byway through Targhee National Forest featuring lower and upper Mesa Falls, with viewing areas, nature trail, and historic Big Falls Inn visitor center.

Notable Events

  1. 1901John Henry Hendricks and Clara Wahlen claimed the property; Hendricks and his brother filed for water rights in August 1901 to harness the falls for electricity. history.idaho.gov
  2. 1904Hendricks received the patent on November 25, 1904, and signed it over to Elliott's power company. history.idaho.gov
  3. 1910Power developers apparently constructed an office in 1910 and later converted it into Big Falls Inn for Yellowstone tourist traffic. history.idaho.gov
  4. 1912Elliott and the Snake River Electric Light and Power Company sold the property. history.idaho.gov
  5. 1913Developers planned a power plant at Mesa Falls for Virginia City mining operations, but the dam and power plant were never built. history.idaho.gov
  6. 1920sBig Falls Inn continued operating and attained national popularity by hosting occasional celebrities. history.idaho.gov
  7. 1932The inn apparently closed by 1932 after improved roads shortened Yellowstone travel and cut into lodge income. history.idaho.gov
  8. 1935Mesa Power sold the property to Idaho Transmission in December 1935; Idaho Transmission sold its holdings to Montana Power in May 1936. history.idaho.gov
  9. 1986The Forest Service acquired the inn from Montana Power and partnered with Harriman State Park and other groups to renovate it. fs.usda.gov

People

  • Charles H. Causey, Believed by many to have built Big Falls Inn (early 1920s for at least twenty years).
  • Clara Wahlen, First claimant of the Upper Mesa Falls property with her husband (1901).
  • John Henry Hendricks, First claimant of the Upper Mesa Falls property (1901).

Sources

  1. byways.org/explore/byways/mesa-falls-scenic-byway
  2. fremontcountyid.gov/192/Scenic-Drives
  3. fs.usda.gov/r04/caribou-targhee/alerts/ashton-island-park-ranger-district-area-and-road-closure
  4. ashtonidaho.com/mesa-falls-scenic-byway
  5. visitidaho.org/things-to-do/scenic-byways/mesa-falls-scenic-byway
  6. fs.usda.gov/r04/caribou-targhee/recreation/mesa-falls-scenic-highway
  7. fs.usda.gov/r04/caribou-targhee/recreation/mesa-falls-visitor-center
  8. fs.usda.gov/r04/caribou-targhee/newsroom/releases/closures-mesa-falls-remain-effect-public-safety
  9. idahoheritagetrust.org/projects-grants/the-big-falls
  10. history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Big_Falls_Inn_94000131.pdf
  11. usgs.gov/media/images/mesa-falls-ash-flow-tuff-and-underlying-fallout-ash-near-ashton-idaho