Palouse Falls and Kamiak Butte Loop, Eastern Washington
One of the last waterfalls from the Ice Age, Palouse Falls, is in Appendix A of 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest: South of Washtunca, Washington, choose the larger campground at Lyons Ferry State Park on the Snake River or the tiny campground upstream at Palouse Falls State Park, which is managed by Lyons Ferry staff. Internal trails lead up and downstream from the Palouse Falls overlook, especially inspiring in spring when the swollen river gushes over the 189-foot cliff.
The above is an outdated description of what used to be a 3-ish mile hike in and around the falls. Due to many adventure mishaps, the trails into the canyon that is the home of Palouse Falls have been permanently closed. You can find an updated description on Washington Trails Association:
The iconic Palouse Falls — Washington State’s official falls — is not to be missed.
Also known as Aput Aput, meaning “Falling Water,” so named by the Palouse Indians, Palouse Falls is located within Palouse Falls State Park. The park boasts a 105-acre camping area with 11 tent spaces, including one campsite that is ADA compliant. All sites are available on a first come, first served basis. You will also find other amenities including sheltered and unsheltered picnic tables, information kiosks, pit toilet restrooms, and wheelchair accessible paths. All visitors should be aware that this area is home to rattlesnakes, so be careful where you walk. You may also encounter the infamous yellow-bellied marmot during your visit. Many reside in the park and can be found grazing throughout the area.
From the parking area, where there is a nice overlook of the falls, a graveled path winds for one-third of a mile around and through grassland and back to the parking area. Keep an eye out for wildflowers that add splashes of color to the landscape.You will see a dirt path ahead that descends into the canyon; this is a user-created social trail that the State Park encourages hikers NOT use. It is quite steep and riddled with loose rocks making for a potentially hazardous descent. In late 2015, due to misuse of these trails and many injured hikers, the park closed the bootpaths leading to the base of the falls. They reopened for several years with signage about hiking safely, but accidents and injuries continued, and the park permanently closed all the trails leading to the canyon and base of the waterfall in early 2022.
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/palouse-falls#hike-full-description
The best part of going to Palouse Falls was the slippery trek down the canyon to the river, where there was always an abundance of sage, wildlife, and interesting smaller falls. It saddens me that adventurers can no longer legally follow those same trails. Still, I also know the disappointment and frustration that enveloped fellow safe hikers when there is a devastating accident on the trail that reflects upon the entire hiking community. If you have not yet seen Washington State’s Official Waterfall, go. If you have gone there prior to current and supposedly permanent restrictions, save yourself and follow a different adventure.
While in that area, you might like the fast stop to #thatNWbus – a “magical roadside bus in Eastern Washington! Over the years the bus has been painted and graffitied over too many times to count. The Washtucna Historical Museum, who now owns #thatNWbus, wants the bus to remain as a canvas for Washingtonians’ artistic expression. Whether people go to make a political or humanitarian statement with their graffiti, or declare their love, the hope is that this artistic outlet will remain a force for positive expression.”
Kamiak Butte is also in Appendix A of the hiking book, under the same channeled scablands section as Palouse Falls, and only about a 60-90 minute drive from the falls: A well-groomed loop trail leads from the county campground and picnic area to the 3,641-foot summit of the timberline ridge, rich with wild plants, standing like a sentinel from the Palouse wheatfields east of Colfax, Washington, and 12 miles north of Pullman. Check with Whitman County Parks in Colfax for possible late-summer closures because of fire danger.
While you are exploring this region, check out Colfax Trail, in Colfax, Washington. It is an easy trail that gets a bit more technical the further you go. the trail appears to be well-used for the first mile of so, and there are a couple of dispersed and littered campsites along the way. Washington Trails Association accurately describes my experience:
This trail runs along an old railroad grade through a scenic area just outside of Colfax. It is a Whitman County Park and nature preserve. Being a railroad grade there is virtually no elevation change so it’s a nice walk for those who just want to saunter along a river bank and enjoy basalt cliffs and occasional wildlife. It’s a quiet trail and accessible year-round.
At the three-mile mark the trail dead ends where a bridge across the river no longer exists. A tunnel is visible on the other side but you’ll have to wade the river to get there.
The last 150 yards to the trailhead is best to walk when the road is wet as there is no gravel and Palouse mud is nothing to trifle with.
https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/colfax-trail-palouse-river
I feel that eastern Washington is a really special place – not only is it a place that those of us up north can explore all year long, but it has the unique geography of the scablands and Palouse, both of which fall under The Seven Wonders of Washington State.
