What an incredible area! My hubby and I were on vacation and just loved the beauty of this place. We combined this trip with a combo of hiking and wine tasting at Walla Walla- great fun! Walla Walla is about an hour and half drive from Palouse Falls. We would not recommend the hike itself for small kids. There are seriously some dangerous spots along this trail. Wear good shoes, watch your feet, watch for rattlesnakes too. Besides, with a family, you really have a great view of the falls from the top anyway. The advantage with the hike is getting a more centered view of the falls and enjoying some adventure! We did the hike past the top of the falls all the way around the edge of the canyon until direct opposite face of the falls. Bee-utiful view! You can scramble down from this point, to get to the base of the falls and cool yourself off by the water, but please know what your doing and where you're going because honestly we got too hot and weren't sure where to go, so climbed back up after an attempt. There is a nice spot to sit in the shade and look at the loveliness if you don't care to scramble. Totally understandable. HOWEVER! When we hiked back over to the top of the falls, we watched another guy coming from the other direction, obviously knowing what he was doing, scramble down with relative ease. There's a trail that goes down (as you're facing the waterfall that side) to the left that's not easily seen because its by a bush. We had noticed its rockier there, and must be easier on the footing and handling as you scramble down. He still had to take it pretty easy toward the bottom because it gets more sandy and slippery but he made it and there is a nice area to hang out once you get to the bottom. Next time we go, we plan on camping for the star gazing and trying this route out so we can finally make it to the bottom! Have fun and be safe!

We arrived around 2pm but found a long line of cars waiting to get into parking lots. The ranger stopped each car to make sure each car had available lot before letting one in. It was one of the 3-day weekends, so a lot of people came to visit the falls, in all ages, and many with dogs. It was a fairly hot 80-degree day, sunny with almost no clouds. We walked along the trail towards the railroad and down along the canyon. Couldn't really see anything once we got to the top of the falls, unable to find a safe route down to the bottom of the falls since it was a little crowded on that day, we returned the same way we came down. There were however a number of ppl at the bottom of the falls at that time. One of the best views of the falls was at the top close to parking lots. We also walked to another lookout at the top which also gave us another good view of the falls.The hike was short and easy, just be prepared with proper hiking shoes if you plan to walk down to the canyons.

I camped at the adjacent state park campground.  The water had not been turned on yet, so make sure to bring your own.  Also, there were no stores nearby, so make sure you bring everything you think you will need. 

The trail isn't well maintained, but it is passible.

I wish I had brought a tripod for nighttime photography. 

Several years ago, I read an article about a kayaker who made a 186-foot decent of Palouse Falls....the record setting run. http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/kayak-waterfall-record Ever since, Palouse Falls was on my bucket list. This past weekend, I finally made it. It took a little over 4 hrs from Seattle to get to Palouse Falls state park. The waterfall and the surrounding landscape are stunning. You can view the waterfall from the overlook by the parking area and also from other vista points along the trail. You can also hike down to the river and follow the stream to the top of the waterfall where Castle Rock stands. It's a long drive from Seattle, but worth for driving that distance to see Palouse Falls and the amazing landscape created by glaciers eons ago. If you don't have Discover Pass, there is a grassy dirt field before the park gate where you can park. Two thumbs up!

Overnighter at Palouse Falls. Clear skies and no moon made for some good stargazing. First time here. Quite a few people. To be expected for a gorgeous Saturday. Incredibly annoying college kids at the campsite. Playing music and being way too loud well into the night. Too bad really. All the other campsites were very respectful. Can't win em all I guess. Didn't spoil it completely though. Got some good pics.