Entry No. 31 — the Spokane file — filed under: outdoor

Palouse Falls State Park

A 198-foot waterfall thunders into a deep plunge pool ringed by columnar basalt cliffs, the last surviving relic of one of Earth's most violent landscapes. The canyon was carved when Ice Age megafloods, carrying half the volume of Lake Michigan, tore across eastern Washington at up to 65 mph and rerouted the entire Palouse River into a new channel. It is Washington's official state waterfall, dropping through raw scabland rock in the middle of empty wheat country. The trails to the canyon floor are permanently closed after fatal accidents, so the overlooks are the only legal vantage.

The move: Pack a picnic and time the drive so you reach the rim overlook at sunset, when the canyon walls glow orange above the falling water.

📍 Before you go Discover Pass required. About 1 hour 45 min from Spokane. Stay behind fences; canyon-floor trails are closed and dangerous.

• 📍 LaCrosse / Washtucna
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Palouse Falls Rd, LaCrosse, WA 99143

Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-24