Name of area: Palouse Falls
Where: Just off Hwy. 261 north of the Snake River
How do I get there from Walla Walla?: Head east on Hwy. 12 toward Dayton. Past Dayton, turn north on Hwy. 261 and drive to Palouse Falls state park 5 miles north of the Snake River. Park at the parking lot above the falls and hike north (upstream) along the cliff edge. Follow the trail as it descends an embankment to some railroad tracks. Walk along the tracks for 200' until it is possible to descend the talus field on a trail to the shore of the river. Follow the trail downstream. The climbs start just past where a metal pipe comes down a gully. You can also drive to Palouse Falls by heading north out of town past the state pen, turn left on Harvey Shaw Rd., continue through Clyde, and then follow the amazing Clyde-Starbuck expressway (pork barrel project) to its intersection with Hwy. 261. Turn left on 261 to get to the park.
How long of a drive is it? one hour
What's there?:Six climbs located on a northeast-facing basalt cliff approximately 110' high. The rock is vertical to overhanging and consists of columns approximately 12" in diameter. The routes were put up by Marty Bland who informs me that the farthest right route is 11a and the one left of that is 12c. All of the others are "open projects". The routes all have closely-spaced bolts which is a good thing since the moves are hard and the rock is not the greatest.
Land Ownership:Washington State Parks
Pros: It's close. It's real rock. It can be warm (in the morning) in the winter if the sun is out. It is in the shade in the afternoon for summer climbing. The canyon is scenic. The bolts are close together.
Cons: The rock is loose and weird. Wear a helmet. All of the routes are hard. The rock is coated with a fine dusting of silt derived from spray from the nearby rapids. It's hard to hear in the spring when the water is high. New routes require extensive loose rock removal. Uncertain what park policy is regarding new route activity.
Comments: Probably better to go somewhere else unless you have a strong grip and don't mind loose silt-coated rock.