Saturday, May. 10, 2008

Palouse Falls State Park planning visitor appreciation picnic

By the Herald staff

Palouse Falls State Park has planned a visitor appreciation picnic May 17 to encourage visitation to the 200-foot-long waterfall.

Educational displays and free hot dogs and drinks will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park, which is off Highway 261 southeast of Washtucna.

Palouse Falls was created by the ancient Lake Missoula floods and is the only major waterfall left along the glacial flood path of 15,000 years ago, according to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Department.

"I've found a lot of people locally who talk about how they haven't been out (to the park) in years, or they've driven by here for 30 years and never stopped," said Melinda McKeen, a park ranger.

"It's a big shock to people because when they are driving down the highway, the last thing they expect to see is a 200-foot-long waterfall," she said.

On average, the park sees from 150 to 300 carloads of visitors on weekends, and from 20 to 100 on weekdays, McKeen said.

Visitors can hike down to the waterfall, although the state does not maintain the trail. Typically, a walk down to the waterfall and returning to the parking lot can take about 1 1/2 hours, she said.

"We have people who go down and back all the time," McKeen said. "The hardest part for a lot of people is the hike back up."

Camping is available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the 105-acre park. Summer hours are 6:30 a.m. to dusk.

To get there, drive southwest from Washtucna 5.8 miles from the Highway 260/261 junction, and turn left at the grain elevator. Follow Highway 261 southeast for 8.7 miles to Palouse Falls Road.

The park is about 2 1/2 miles from the highway.

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