What Is It?
Water shoots out of a cliff and falls 200 feet into a basin at Palouse Falls in Washtucna, Washington. This Eastern Washington waterfall is a scenic reminder of floods from ages gone by.
See the Sights
The falls have three viewpoints. The lowest has a head-on view. The middle is along the end of an interpretive path that details the canyon’s history. The highest—Fryxell Overlook—has great views of the falls, canyon and horizon.
History
Palouse Falls is one of the last active waterfalls along an ice age flood path. The floods happened more than 13,000 years ago. Glaciers built up massive lakes in western Montana, then burst, propelling the water westward and making huge carvings across the region.
Kids Succeed With Campaign
Palouse Falls was named Washington’s state waterfall in 2014 after a campaign started by students in the Washtucna School District. When developing class curriculum, teachers realized the state did not have an official waterfall and created a civics lesson out of meeting with a local representative.
More Information
Visitors should be prepared to not have cell service at the falls. For more information, visit www.parks.wa.gov/559/Palouse-Falls-State-Park-Heritage-Site or call 509-646-3229.