Palouse Falls Loop
Brief
130-mile loop
All pavement (except for the two-mile access road to the Falls).
Country roads, nice corners, wide panoramic views, wheat country, historic cabin, and interesting bridges.
Very nice ride.
Ride Note: If you want to enter Palouse Falls State Park, a “Discover Pass” is required.
The Whole Story
This route takes you through wheat country and some very steep farm ground on the way to Palouse Falls State Park. These are some of our favorite roads for an afternoon ride. Many are small two-lane country roads. Enjoy them, but use caution; there can be road debris, light traffic, and occasionally farm vehicles.
If you follow the route, you will go north from WW on Hwy 125. Turn left onto Harvey Shaw Road for a pleasant ride to the Lamar Cabin. It is an interesting historic site.
The old Lamar log cabin was originally built in the late 1850s by the Lamar brothers, some of the very early settlers and homesteaders here in the county.
Originally, this cabin was set across the Touchet River but was moved to its current location sometime in the 1860s by the brothers themselves to a higher plain and away from the river for fear of flooding. The Blue Mountain Land Trust now maintains it.
After the cabin, take Hwy 124 over to Piper Canyon Road for some nice twisties. A left on Smith Springs Road takes you to more nice tarmac up to the old townsite of Clyde.
Then go North, through what seems like endless wheat fields to the Snake River and Lyons Ferry. The KOA campground/Marina is a nice spot to take a break. There are restrooms and a small store.
There are two historic bridges here at Lyons Ferry. Just downstream from Lyons Ferry is the historic Joso Railroad Bridge.
The historic Joso Bridge spans the river canyon and is still an active Union Pacific railroad bridge. The bridge, built between 1910 and 1914, significantly shortened the route between Hinkle and Spokane but at a high cost to the railroad — monetarily and through the loss of life during construction. The bridge has 55 spans and is 3920 feet long. It is the longest and highest bridge in the Union Pacific system. It also stands about 261 feet above the bottom of the Snake River. However, once Lower Monument Dam was constructed in 1968, water submerged the lower portion of the bridge piers, leaving only 194′ between the top of the bridge and the river’s surface.
The other interesting bridge is the one you will drive over, the Lyons Ferry Bridge
At 2,040 feet in length, the bridge is the biggest relocated in Washington state. Initially, this bridge spanned the Columbia River at Vantage and is one of a few Washington bridges to be moved in the 20th century. However, relocating bridges was more common in the 19th century. Initially constructed in 1927, It is Washington’s oldest steel cantilever bridge. It has been in service here since 1968.
Enjoy the twisty ride up Highway 261 from the Snake River to the turnoff for Palouse Falls. The road into the Falls is about 2 miles of nice gravel. It is easy on a street bike unless it is wet. It will be a challenge if it gets muddy. The views of the falls are worth the ride. This area is on the edge of the famous Channelled Scablands created by gigantic floods at the end of the last ice age.
The return to Walla Walla
Ride back to Hwy 261 from the Falls. Go back over the Lyons Ferry bridge and on to the tiny town of Starbuck. Follow the route up the Snake and Tucanon Rivers through cattle and wheat country. About five miles beyond Starbuck pay attention not to miss the turn onto McKay/Alto Rd. Follow this to Waitsburg. Take a few minutes and drive around the quaint town of Waitsburg. There’s a lovely coffee shop on Main Street and many historic homes.
Waitsburg back to Walla Walla is a pleasant ride on Middle Waitsburg Rd through more highly productive wheat farms.