Spotlight on the Southeast - Palouse Falls

SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOUTHEAST REGION

Did you know that Washington State has an official State Waterfall?

Palouse Falls, perhaps the crown jewel of the beautiful Southeast Region of Washington State, holds this impressive title.

Over 13,000 years ago the Ice Age floods carved out the path that the Palouse River now follows, and the Palouse Falls is one of the last remaining active waterfalls along its path. Plummeting 200 feet, the falls is a bucket-list subject for northwest photographers, as the frothy falls cascade prominently, framed by a striking bowl of geometric basalt columns.

The river keeps flowing onwards past the falls through the Palouse River Canyon, full of coulees, cataracts, pools, buttes and pinnacles that characterize the scablands in this region.

The designation for Washington's official state waterfall came in 2014, when the State Legislature passed a bill that was lobbied for by school children from the nearby town of Washtunca.

Artists and photographers are drawn to the bewitching landscapes of this region, as the rolling hills, shades of changing light, and shifting seasons create a year-round opportunity for creative expression and interpretation.

 

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