Palouse Falls is a 186-foot plunge waterfall on the Palouse River in southeastern Washington, dropping into a basalt canyon about four miles above the river's meeting with the Snake. It is the official state waterfall of Washington and the centerpiece of Palouse Falls State Park Heritage Site.
The falls
The river leaps over a single drop into a bowl ringed by columnar basalt cliffs; a smaller upper fall of around 20 feet sits just above the main plunge. Surveys updated in December 2024 determine the height as 186 feet, while other records cite 198 to 200 feet. The canyon below is 377 feet deep and exposes layers of Columbia River Basalt. Ice Age floods spilled over the south wall of the ancestral Palouse valley and diverted the river into fractured basalt, where the canyon grew by headward erosion.
Getting there
The park is on Palouse Falls Road near LaCrosse and is managed by Washington State Parks. It is day-use only, open 6:30 a.m. to dusk in summer and 8 a.m. to dusk in winter. A Discover Pass is required: $10 per vehicle per day or $45 for a year. Parking is extremely limited, and trailers and RVs are not allowed. A site alert dated May 28, 2026 places the park under a Level 4 burn ban.
When to go
Water runs all year, with the best flow from December through May, and peak volume during spring and early summer. Park officials advise visitors of possible waits at the entrance on weekends and holidays.
On site
There are three viewpoints: a lower viewpoint reached by steps from the main lot, a paved interpretive path, and Fryxell Overlook above the falls, which can also be reached from a secondary gravel lot. The park provides accessible parking and trails. All trails into the canyon and to the base are permanently closed, and visitors must stay in designated areas. Swimming and access to the plunge pool are prohibited, and the cliffs reach 300 feet. In April 2018 a 23-year-old man drowned while swimming beneath the falls, and in May 2018 another man fell into the river above the falls and died. Leashed dogs are allowed. Most of the park has no cell coverage; bring water.
History and name
The falls' earlier name was recorded as Aput Aput, "falling water"; they were later renamed for the Palouse people, and the park was dedicated on June 3, 1951. On April 21, 2009, kayaker Tyler Bradt paddled over the falls. In 2014 the state House unanimously passed HB 2119 making Palouse Falls the official state waterfall, after a campaign by elementary school students from nearby Washtucna.
Nearby
Also on the Palouse River, Gildersleeve Falls is about 4.9 miles away and Little Palouse Falls about 5 miles. Lower Cow Creek Falls is about 15.9 miles away, and De Ruwe Falls on the Tucannon River about 19 miles.
Distances are straight-line.