Palouse Falls State Park
Washington · State Park · Pacific Northwest Region
Washington's state waterfall plunges 198 feet into a basalt canyon carved by Ice Age floods. It looks nothing like the rest of the PNW, more like Iceland dropped into eastern Washington wheat country.
- Best season
- Spring Summer
- Permit required
- Yes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Max group size
- 60 people
- Permit info verified
- April 2026
Permit Information
Washington State Parks Special Activities Permit required for wedding ceremonies. $45 non refundable application fee. Applications must be submitted at least 60 days before the event. Certificate of liability insurance required: $1,000,000 general liability and $1,000,000 personal injury naming State Parks as additional insured. Parking is very limited at Palouse Falls, arrive early. Viewpoints are on narrow basalt cliffs, no decorations or setups. Discover Pass or $30 per vehicle day use fee r…
Planning Your Day at Palouse Falls State Park
One-Spot Day
Palouse is a one spot day. All three overlooks sit inside a 94 acre day use park on the same basalt rim within a five minute walk of each other. Pick one for vows, hit the other two for portraits, and plan lunch in Washtucna or Dayton because there is no food, no lodging, and no gas inside the park itself. Summer hours run 6:30am to dusk, winter 8am to dusk, and the parking lot holds maybe 40 cars that fill by 9am on any weekend April through June.
Ceremony + Portraits Split
If the ADA shelter on the upper overlook is occupied by tourists (it usually is from 10am to 4pm), pivot to Fryxell Overlook 0.3 miles away or the Lower Viewpoint stairs for the vow moment, then rotate back through all three during portraits. Every canyon trail below the rim is permanently closed and actively enforced, so the entire day happens on three short paved or gravel viewpoints connected by a single interpretive loop.
A Note on Light
Morning light hits the falls face and lights up the plunge pool; afternoon throws the east canyon wall into shadow while keeping the cascade itself glowing. April and May deliver peak flow and wildflowers on the plateau. July and August average 95F on bare basalt with almost no shade, so time ceremonies before 9am or after 6pm. September and October bring warm golden canyon tones and far fewer visitors.
Ceremony Spots at Palouse Falls State Park
- Upper Overlook & ADA Observation Shelter — Accessible ceremonies with panoramic canyon framing and state waterfall backdrop
- Fryxell Overlook — Dramatic wide canyon ceremony backdrop with full cascade, plunge pool, and downstream gorge in frame
- Lower Viewpoint — Intimate vow exchange with the falls as the dominant backdrop