Idaho
This Idaho Theme Park Ranked as One of the Best in the U.S. — and It Has Wild West Vibes, an Earthquake-themed Coaster, and Free Water Park Admission
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/TAL-header-rollercoaster-silverwood-theme-park-idaho-IDTHEMEPARK1124-5ecadd31e5bb4205a804d3cc6895bdf8.jpg?ssl=1 "This Idaho Theme Park Ranked as One of the Best in the U.S. — and It Has Wild West Vibes, an Earthquake-themed Coaster, and Free Water Park Admission")
With its rugged Western landscapes, Idaho attracts visitors who want to immerse themselves in the peace, quiet, and charms of the great outdoors. But now there’s another great — and thrilling — reason to visit the Gem State.
A recent study conducted by casino sweepstakes comparison site Casinos Sweeps revealed the top 50 highest-rated theme parks in America. The site analyzed over 300 amusement parks across the country — including favorites like Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, and Disneyland — using Tripadvisor and Google reviews. And landing in the top 30, with a solid ratio of 70 percent five-star reviews, is Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, Idaho.
The Wild West-themed park, located less than 20 miles north of Coeur d’Alene, opened in 1988 and has transformed from a local amusement park to a regional destination. With over 70 rides and attractions, it’s the largest theme park in the northwest.
For thrill-seekers, Silverwood has an impressive array of seven rollercoasters. There’s Aftershock, an inverted, boomerang-style roller coaster as well as the Stunt Pilot, a unique, single-rail attraction, designed as a homage to the daily air shows that used to take place in the park. For those with little ones, there are also family-friendly rides, including the spinning Krazy Koaster, which runs on a figure-eight track. And don’t miss out on Tremors, an award-winning, earthquake-themed roller coaster that takes riders through four underground tunnels.
But for those interested in gentler excitement, Silverwood has several classic amusement park attractions, including a Ferris wheel, carousel, log flume, and drop tower. Be sure to make time to ride the Silverwood Central Railway, which takes riders on a scenic 30-minute ride around the park aboard a 1915 steam engine with views of northern Idaho.
Summertime temperatures in Athol can sometimes reach the high 80s, and a visit to Boulder Beach is an ideal way to cool off. Best of all, access to the water park is included with standard admission (prices start at $74 per person for a day pass). Guests can relax in one of two wave pools at Boulder Beach Bay or take on the 925-foot-long Eagle Hunt, the longest dueling water coaster in the country. The truly brave will want to conquer Velocity Peak, a high-speed water tower with three slides that can send riders careening off at 55 miles per hour.
Silverwood’s seasonal events are also a fan favorite, including the annual Halloween Scarywood Haunted Nights. The nighttime celebration embraces the spooky season with haunted scare zones and immersive mazes.
As for other highly rated theme parks across the West, properties such as Epic Discovery in Breckenridge, Colorado; Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Maricopa County, Arizona; and Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah also made Casinos Sweeps’ list.
PAYETTE — A Payette mom’s bond was revoked Tuesday after she was charged with suffocating her twin children earlier this month and is believed to pose a danger to the life of her newborn child.
The case, which has drawn national headlines, concerns Andrea Renee Shaw, a 23-year-old Payette mother who in May 2025 said her 18-month-old fraternal twins died the same day, after receiving routine childhood vaccinations. In January, Shaw joined as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with several other plaintiffs claiming vaccine injury or death.
Kennedy, who now serves as secretary of Health and Human Services, is no longer part of the group after taking on the cabinet position, as was reported by the Associated Press.
In Idaho, the twins’ deaths prompted a 14-month investigation by the Payette County Sheriff’s Department. On June 29, the investigation yielded a grand jury indictment of Shaw on two counts of first-degree murder by suffocation. If convicted, Shaw can be punished by up to life in prison or the death penalty, and the court would have the ability to order the penalties be served consecutively, or back to back.
Tuesday’s arraignment at the Payette County Courthouse was primarily attended by Shaw’s relatives and members of the media. Payette County Judge Kiley Stuchlik, who serves Idaho’s Third Judicial District, presided.
A key consideration for Stuchlik on Tuesday was a request from Joseph Filicetti, the legal counsel for Shaw, to have her bond reduced from $2 million to $100,000. Filicetti said this would allow for Shaw to care for a newborn girl, who, according to court documents, was born by caesarean section on June 25, four days prior to Shaw’s grand jury indictment.
State prosecutors objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting at hand was a potential death penalty case and asserting, unlike her husband, Shaw’s story repeatedly changed during questioning. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Duke said releasing Shaw would ultimately put the newborn’s safety at risk.
“That child is the most at risk. We do not think she should be allowed to be anywhere near any children, let alone her own children,” Duke said.
Stuchlik decided to revoke bond entirely, stating Shaw posed a “risk of safety” to the newborn child that was not known to Stuchlik or prosecutors when the $2 million bond was initially set.
Also for consideration Tuesday was a request to have grand jury transcripts of witness testimony provided to prosecutors and defense counsel to prepare their respective cases.
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