Twin Falls Has 21 Miles Of Hidden Tunnels Under It And This Is Why

Twin Falls, Idaho, is home to many legends, though there may be more urban legends than true legends and a really interesting history of doing the best with what we have. One of those historical legends dates back to the early 1900s and involves miles of secret underground tunnels.

When I first heard about the tunnels I thought it was a cool story and something that would be interesting to visit. But at the same time, I was told that hobos had taken over the tunnels so you shouldn't go in them. I wasn't given context or the reason for the tunnels being built at the time so I figured it was for sewage or hiding and transporting booze. The real reason for the tunnels is much more beneficial to the city: drainage. The city saw in 2017 how poorly Twin Falls drains when inundated with water.

Twin Falls natives know the monument in front of the Twin Falls Canal Company on 6th Ave. But how many city residents have stopped to read the sign? I finally stopped there recently and the tunnels are actually pretty interesting and it's nice to know some real information about them.

The tunnels were built in the early 1900s because Twin Falls was becoming a swamp due to drainage issues. Between 1926 and 1951 they dug 21.5 miles of drainage tunnels under the city. Those tunnels still drain water but they are all on private property so you can't enter them. Plus none of them are marked so you can't go looking for them either. Only In Your State wrote about the tunnels and they say the entrances have all been sealed, concealed, or hidden to prevent visitors from entering.