Whitman County: River Landscapes, Waterfalls and History

Discover Whitman County through its striking contrasts: the open Palouse Hills, forested canyons, rivers and waterfalls, and places where history and culture come alive. When choosing your vacation rental, it helps to first consider which experiences you want to shape your stay—wide-open views, riverside trails, or historic and cultural discoveries.

Palouse Hills, Canyons and Waterfalls

Kamiak Butte rises 3,641 feet above the Palouse Hills and is located in a 298-acre county park. Wawawai County Park offers a different landscape: its 49-acre site sits in Snake River Canyon, three miles upstream from Lower Granite Dam. Klemgard County Park adds another option, with 59 acres of recreational space for day visits in a forested canyon. Those interested in different types of landscapes can focus on views, a river canyon, or a forested canyon.

Palouse Falls State Park Heritage Site is a 94-acre day-use park with views of Washington State’s official waterfall. Here, the Palouse River plunges 200 feet into a churning pool inside a basalt gorge. A viewpoint offers panoramic views of the falls and Palouse River Canyon. Important for planning: all trails into the canyon and to the base of Palouse Falls are permanently closed. The viewpoint and the closed trails are therefore different visitor options.

Steptoe Butte State Park Heritage Site also combines landscape and orientation: as a National Natural Landmark, it offers wide panoramic views of surrounding farmland, mountains, and states. For a visit focused on the views, it offers a different emphasis from the gorge and water at Palouse Falls.

River Trails and Outdoor Activities

On the Snake River, Boyer Park and Marina is a 56-acre, fully equipped marina facility with a campground. Boyer Park offers boat slips, campsites, and cabins. The 3.5-mile Snake River Trail runs from Almota Creek through Boyer Park to the base of Lower Granite Lock and Dam and is designated for walking and biking. This makes it possible to treat a stay by the river and a specific trail route as distinct parts of an outdoor-focused visit.

In the county park system, camping is limited to designated campsites at Kamiak Butte County Park and Wawawai County Park; sites are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Other trails each have their own character: the seven-mile, paved Bill Chipman Palouse Trail connects Pullman and Moscow along a former railroad corridor. In Colfax, the five-mile Palouse River Trail follows the Palouse River as a flat out-and-back route. The Palouse River Trail is two miles shorter than the paved Bill Chipman Palouse Trail and follows the river on flat terrain as an out-and-back route. Elsewhere in the Palouse region, the Palouse River is also used for canoeing and kayaking; wildlife and striking rock formations are among the described sights.

History, Art and Regional Cuisine

Steptoe Battlefield State Park Heritage Site commemorates the 1858 battle between U.S. troops and Native American tribes. Interpretive signs tell the story of the battle and the flight of the U.S. soldiers. A visit here offers a different focus from the scenic viewpoints: the emphasis is on a specific historical event and its interpretation on site.

Cultural sites also tell different stories. Since restoration began in 2000, the Empire Theater in Tekoa has developed into an established performing arts center for the county and surrounding areas. St. Boniface Church in Uniontown was built in 1905 and is considered the first consecrated Catholic church in Washington. Artisans at the Dahmen Barn houses artists’ studios as well as Hay Loft Hall, a venue for exhibitions and performances.

The Rosalia Museum displays objects relating to the regional history of Rosalia, Malden and Thornton. Topics include home life, local commerce, railroads and agriculture, as well as tools and everyday items from life on the Palouse. The Newspaper and Printing Museum preserves equipment and methods used in letterpress printing and Linotype typesetting. Its extensive collection of early newspapers from across Whitman County is complemented by rotating exhibits featuring regional artifacts and photographs.

In Pullman, the National Lentil Festival puts lentils in the spotlight: the festival has celebrated them since 1989 and features the “World’s Largest Lentil Chili Bowl” as well as a food and arts-and-crafts market. If you’d also like to plan your trip around a culinary or cultural event, check the dates of each festival in advance. This way, landscapes, history, art and regional food culture offer different reasons to discover Whitman County.

Explore more destinations: Spokane, San Juan County, Chelan County, Grant County, Cowlitz.

View the main travel guide: Washington.