The Palouse: wheat hills and a hidden waterfall
South from Spokane into the rolling farmland of the Palouse, with a summit view from Steptoe Butte, a dramatic canyon waterfall and two college towns.
- Distance
- 302 km (188 mi)
- Driving
- 3 h 21 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 6
- States
- WA, ID
- Updated
- June 6, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 302 km (188 mi) with 6 stops, from Spokane to Moscow. About 3 h 21 min of driving in total.
Route description
US-195 runs south from Spokane into the Palouse, a landscape of steep, rolling hills planted with wheat, lentils and peas. The farm roads between the main highways are the real attraction: gravel lanes, weathered barns and grain elevators on the skyline.
Steptoe Butte rises above it all, and the road to the top circles the hill several times. Sunrise and the hour before sunset give the famous striped shadows across the fields; the road is narrow, so larger RVs should park at the bottom.
From Colfax, head west on back roads to Palouse Falls, where the river plunges into a basalt canyon carved by the Ice Age floods. The state park has a small campground and short, fenced viewpoints; the rougher trails near the edge are not maintained.
Finish in Pullman, home of Washington State University, and Moscow, Idaho, just across the state line, both with easygoing downtowns. The hills are green in May and June and golden at the August harvest.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Spokane
WA - 284 km
Steptoe Butte
ViewsColfax, WAA quartzite knob rising above the rolling wheat hills of the Palouse. A narrow road spirals to the top, where photographers gather at sunrise and sunset.
- 321 km
Colfax
WA - 484 km
Palouse Falls
NatureWashtucna, WAWashington’s state waterfall drops about 200 feet into a basalt bowl carved by Ice Age floods. The viewpoints are a short walk from the parking area; stay behind the fences.
- 596 km
Pullman
WA - 616 km
Moscow
ID
