The Palouse, often called one of the Seven Wonders of Washington State, is known for its rolling hills and an abundance of farmland. It’s a major agricultural area with wheat fields, oat fields, canola fields and barley fields are all found in abundance here. Whitman County is considered the wheat capital of the US, as it’s the top wheat producing county in the US. Countless historic barns, red barns and stunning vistas dot the rolling landscape. The Palouse is filled with hidden gem, Washington heritage barns and famous landmarks such as Steptoe Butte, the Heidenreich Dairy Barn (built in 1910), the Leonard Round Barn (built in 1917) and the Dahmen Barn (built in 1935).
Palouse Falls, another one of the Seven Wonders of Washington State, is located here and it’s also Washington’s official state waterfall. Palouse Falls is an incredibly unique sight, as the waterfall drops 200 feet into a 377 foot deep canyon made of Columbia River basalt as the Palouse River winds its way towards the Snake River. The sunrises and sunsets hare can be stunning, and once the sun goes down the dark night skies allow for wonderful stargazing and Milky Way views.
No matter where you go in the Palouse, you are sure to find abandoned farm equipment, abandoned vehicles, abandoned buildings, old one room schoolhouses, red barns, historic barns and sweeping vistas. It’s a place seemingly caught in a time warp, and a visit here often feels like a trip to yesteryear. One of my favorite sights in the Palouse was always the Skeen Schoolhouse, a crooked little one room schoolhouse which seemed to defy the laws of physics for decades, holding on despite a strong slant before finally collapsing in 2019 over 130 years after it was first built.
I’ve spent over 20 years exploring the Palouse, and the feeling that you’re returning to a time long since gone has always been one of my favorite things about this place. Time seems to slow down here, and life takes on a slower pace as you take in the beauty of the famous rolling hills of the rolling Palouse. Once you’ve spent time here, it’s easy to see why the Palouse is known as American Tuscany. The serenity and a slower pace of life found here is getting harder and harder to find in the modern world, and a trip to the rural landscapes of eastern Washington always leaves you feeling refreshed and renewed.
There’s something timeless about seeing rolling fields of patchwork colored crops extend as far the eye can see against the backdrop of a pastel colored sunset. The elevated views from Steptoe Butte really provide a sense of scale, and it's truly amazing to witness the rolling hills of the Palouse on the grand scale you get from the top of Steptoe Butte.
I've been visiting this place for a long time, and it's often a place I go to when I need to relax slowdown and refresh. The best way to explore the Palouse is to simply do that: explore. The Palouse Scenic Byway may get a majority of the press here as far as roads go, but I’ve found often times the best views here are off the beaten path on a questionable dirt road. It’s a timeless beauty often leaves the soul refreshed and renewed. I hope everyone viewing my Palouse Fine Art Photography gallery comes away feeling the same way.
