1 hour North of Walla Walla lies Palouse Falls, a unique 198 ft waterfall. Where most waterfalls flow down mountains, Palouse comes from the deep valleys carved into Eastern Washington during the Missoula Floods of 13,000+ years ago. It’s no overstatement to say that without the Missoula Floods, Eastern Washington, Nothern Idaho, Northern Oregon, and Western Montana would not look anything like they look today. These floods carried school bus-sized boulders through the area, carving canyons as they passed. Repeated flooding of 1,000 foot waves carried debris all the way to the Pacific. Museums and signs on the road try to detail how massive these floods were, but the imagination can only guess.
This carving created the very unique falls of Palouse. Approaching from the plains, the waterfall drops from ground height into a canyon, so you can’t see the fall until you are right up close. Numerous trails take you around, down, and to the top of the falls. A scenic picnic area provides shade and rest.
While it might be out of the way, it is never a waster trip.
