“The jewel of eastern Washington”
Palouse Falls State Park is a 105-acre camping park with a unique geology and history. The park offers a dramatic view of one of the state's most beautiful waterfalls. Palouse Falls drops from a height of 198 feet with high volumes of water flow in spring and early summer. "Its size and splendor make Palouse Falls one of the most scenic and impressive waterfalls in all of Washington, but its location adds even more magic and wonder to its image. Nestled in a deep coulee, the Palouse River creeps mostly unseen through the scablands north of the Snake River. It is only when you are right at the edge of the river's chasm that you can see and appreciate the deep cut the river makes through the basalt highlands. The same holds true for the falls, which starts in a deep cut and falls into a deeper hole. The falls can't be seen until you are nearly on top of it, but then--wow! A broad, broken plateau of black basalt stretches out to the horizon as you approach the entrance to the state park, when suddenly--boom!--there they are: the thundering waters of Palouse Falls pounding 198 feet into a circular bowl carved out of the cinder-black rock. Winter and spring are the prime times to see the falls. In the dead of winter, the jagged cliffs around the falls are lined with shimmering bands of ice, while in spring, the runoff from snowmelt in the high country has the falls running full bore as a thundering spectacle. Palouse Falls is a photographer's delight.
This place is epic. So beautiful and unexpected. Definitely worth the drive..even in August when it is supposedly less spectacular.
Took a big detour on our way home from Boise to Seattle one weekend to come here and it was totally worth the trip. I've lived in Washington my whole life and I'm glad I finally took the time to come see this beautiful spot. Make sure you've got plenty of gas though as the nearest stations are about 50 miles away for Premium. Regular is available though. Make some time in your trip to do the hike!
That picture must have been taken in Spring with all that greenery and how far out the waterfall is hitting the bottom. You can hike to the bottom on the right of this picture.
Amazing!
Beautiful. On the list!
We visited the lookout point in August 2021. It was a long drive through what appear to be mostly deserted dairy farms before arriving at the the waterfall. The waterfall was a beautiful site in the middle of a mostly dry, hot area. Maybe it is more green in the spring. The road to the fall and the recreation area were sparsely populated; we only saw one family having lunch under a tree and another car arriving as we left. There are vault toilets available.
Totally awesome views. Relaxing, tiny campground, you can hear the falls in the background.
Beautiful but...
The falls and gorge are amazing as others have said. However we drove in a40ft RV which was a challenge. the last bit of 261 was very twisty with tight turns and hills. The state park entrance road is a narrow gravel road with potholes and washboarding with no room to pass someone going the opposite way. We were surprised at the poor entry conditions. Nevertheless it was worth seeing.
Great views and trails... Some spots on the trail made me a little nervous but it was worth it
Very Beautiful!
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Palouse Falls State Park
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 6:30 am - 7:00 pm
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Good for picnicking and walking.
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 12
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Paved Sites
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Fifty Amp
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Full Hookup
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Rec Facilities
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Pull Through
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Tent Sites
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Dump Station
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Big Rigs
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Age Restricted
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Boondock
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Cabin Sites
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Dispersed Sites
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Firewood
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Fulltime Residents
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Group Tent Sites
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Laundry
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Mobile Homes
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Open Seasonally
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Permit Required
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Propane
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Public Water
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Pull Through RV Sites
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Showers
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Standard Tent Sites
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Water Hookup
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Outdoor Seating
Campground, Parking, Dining, Restrooms
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