Surreal footage out of Eastern Washington where James Shimizu stepped up to one of the biggest navigable waterfalls in the world. Carved during the the Paleoindian Period more than 13,000 years ago, the Palouse River runs through a narrow cataract and drops away at Palouse Falls into a churning bowl below (measured 186ft at the day of the run). Nearly impossible to stress how gnarly it is to paddle over this monster on your own volition, unbelievable.
“It was an absolutely surreal day that I still can’t believe happened.” –James Shimizu
Carved more than 13,000 years ago, the Palouse River runs through a narrow cataract and drops 200 feet at Palouse Falls into a churning bowl. From there, the water current moves swiftly through a winding gorge of columnar basalt, to its southern end at the Snake River.
The park offers three distinct views of the falls. The lower viewpoint provides a direct view that is reached by a set of steps from the main day-use area adjacent to the parking lot. The second, at the end of a paved interpretive path, explains the history of the secluded canyon. Both the interpretive path and gravel secondary parking area lead to the third and highest viewpoint, the Fryxell Overlook. This overlook offers panoramic views of the falls and Palouse River Canyon.