Quote of the Month:

Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own." - Charles Dickens

Palouse Falls

Parent Category: Hiking
Created: 07 May 2014
Length: 2 miles
Location: Eastern Washington
Elevation Gain: 293 ft
Features: Waterfalls, Rivers, Wildflowers
GPS Waypoints: N 46 39.835 W 118 13.637
Visitor’s Information: Discover Pass Required

Photo from Eastern Washington, La Crosse, Palouse Falls State ParkPictures below will take you on a virtual hiking tour! Enjoy views of beautiful Palouse Falls!

General Information:

Palouse Falls State Park is a 105-acres day-use park with numerous opportunities for camping, hiking, kayaking, wildlife and bird viewing. The jewel of the park is a well-known Palouse Falls, it falls from the height of 198 feet into a “bowl” carved out of the black rock. The view is truly splendid, but you will not see the falls unless you hike to the top of the basalt plateau. Spring and early summer are the best seasons to visit the falls, when Palouse Falls increases its’ strength and beauty.

Photo from Eastern Washington, La Crosse, Palouse Falls State Park

For many years Palouse Falls had the name Aput Aput, which means “falling water”. The name was changed in order to honor the Palouse Indian culture. The Palouse legend says that once the River Palouse ran smoothly and flowed into the Snake River. But four giant brothers were trying to kill a mythic Big Beaver. They speared the beaver five times, and every time he was speared, he damaged the canyon walls and made the river to bend. The last time when the creature was speared, he tore out a big of the cliff and made the river to fall. Even now people say that they see the marks of Big Beaver’s claws on the canyon walls.

Photo from Eastern Washington, La Crosse, Palouse Falls State Park

From the parking lot, a well-maintained and paved trail runs around the overlook site. It should be said that most of the visitors stay here and enjoy the views.

But the best views open to those who continue their hike and go north on dirt trail. Spring and summer flowers make this trail colorful, and hikers may encounter balsamroot, bluebells, buckwheat, yellow bells, locoweed, desert parsley, lupine, death camas, and vetch. The path runs on the plateau, opening stunning views on the falls, and winds to the Palouse River.

Photo from Eastern Washington, La Crosse, Palouse Falls State Park

Hikers should also keep in mind that there is no way to hike to the bottom of the falls. You may see the paths, but do not follow them.
Palouse Falls State Park is a great place for the hikers, because here there are well-maintained paths that wind on the upper plateau, as well as narrow trails with steep cliffs that can be hiked on the way back to the parking lot.

 

 

 

 

These pictures were taken on May 1, 2014

Directions:

From Dayton

Follow US 12 north for 14 miles. Turn left on State Route 261 and drive through the community of Starbuck. In 20.5 miles from US 12, turn right onto Palouse Falls Road, which signed "Palouse Falls State Park-2." Drive down the hill to the parking lot

Photo: Roman Khomlyak

Photo Editing: Pavlo Petryshyn

Information: Marina Petrova

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