Before I went to Palouse Falls, I didn't really know what to expect as far as hiking options, so here is a quick overview of what I learned:
--The drive is long (from pretty much anywhere ha) but lovely
--No cell service
--It requires a Discover Pass as it's a state park
--You can camp there!
--Arrive early. We arrive at 9ish and had almost all the lots to ourselves. When we left, the lower and upper lots were full (and this was on a cold, kind of rainy/cloudy, April Saturday.
--Pit toilets only
--Lots of wind
--Official trail is from your car to a couple of scenic overlooks with signage (also, don't skip these! very interesting)
--Unofficial trails lead all over the park. We followed some above the falls and over the the river behind. You can go down a service road to get to the riverside and then loop around get above the falls. Some of the trails look very sketchy, as in narrow on ridges, but lead to some very neat viewpoints I imagine. We didn't explore too much because we had more to see, and because my partner isn't the hugest fan of heights (though he did say that next time he'd attempt to do some of the ridge trails)
--We saw marmots all around, and mountain goats down in the canyon!
--Because of the snowy winter, the falls were running heavy and the surrounding area was green and lush. I hear this is not the case in the summer... it's a trade off I guess for more sun and warmer temps.
I highly recommend coming here but I would not have it be the sole destination of my trip. I would make sure it's part of a day of exploring the area; otherwise, you'll be done in a couple hours and wondering what to do next.
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