Wonderful Washington: Bask in the natural beauty of Palouse Falls

Forget Iceland, some of the most scenic falls are right in our backyard — at Palouse Falls State Park, that is.

In 2014, Palouse Falls was inaugurated as Washington’s official state waterfall. At over 13,000 years old, Palouse Falls is among the last active waterfalls on the Ice Age floods path.

We recommend visiting close to sunset, when you can watch the light shift against the canyon walls.

For your own safety, please make sure you are prepared before heading out on your next adventure. Information on how to prepare for your trip and stay safe while on your hike is available from waparks.org and parks.wa.gov. Always remember to leave no trace, pack out what you pack in, stick to designated trails, and refrain from feeding wildlife — and please note that irresponsibly taken selfies (even if they look great for the ‘gram) can be fatal. 

 

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Where is it? 

The falls themselves are in Palouse Falls State Park, located in Western Washington by Palouse and Blue Mountains.

 

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How do you get there? 

It’s an easy drive out to the falls. From Seattle, follow I-90 East to exit 137. Continue on WA-26 East to Palouse Falls Road in Franklin County, where you’ll end up in a parking lot. From the lot, you’ll be able to overlook the falls. If you’d like to get closer, follow the dirt path that descends into the canyon. The path is unregulated and is a potentially hazardous descent. Please judge the conditions of the path before hiking it.

What’s there? 

If you haven’t already realized it by now, at Palouse Falls you’ll see, well, a waterfall surrounded by canyons. The fall is one of the last remnants of the Missoula Glacial Floods, which swept across eastern Washington approximately 12,000 years ago during the Ice Age.

The water pours down into the Palouse River, which runs all the way into the Snake River.

 

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