Palouse Falls, Lacrosse WA

The Palouse Canyon, an epic carving through central Washington, makes up one of the most jaw dropping sites in the Northwest.

Located less that 2 hours outside of Spokane, the drive showcases views of rolling hills & deep green alfalfa, contrasting against cotton candy blue skies underneath the brilliant sun.

Here's how to visit Palouse Falls in a day & get the most epic photos:

1. Take your time

This is one amazing destination that truly takes time to get to & if explored correctly, time to adventure. There are few sights in Washington State that are more breathtaking than this, so be sure to give yourself the Palouse Falls experience you'll feel fulfilled with.

2. Stop for sights along the way

Though this will significantly increase the distance of the road trip, it's still really about the journey, right? The winding roads through the wheat & alfalfa fields as far as the eye can see make for excellent photo opps.

3. Leave your pets behind

As a loyal dog owner, I want to take my dog almost anywhere. This place, however, is best enjoyed with your favorite camera, a tri-pod, & a hiking buddy that's good near cliffs & not afraid of heights. Though I did bring my dog on this trip, I was thankful for my Mother watching her while I hiked the cliff above the falls to catch this amazing shot:

4. Weather is everything

Ok, obviously this place is killer any time of year. But sign me up for the days of sunny weather & low winds; I really don't need any help over the side of a cliff...

5. Go during sunrise or sunset

I've always heard that the best time to take photos is during the Golden Hour: Sunrise or Sunset. This time of day provides the right shadow cast without glaring out the photos like the mid-day sun. And ironically, the cloudier the better. No one enjoys taking photos in the rain, but its that near-thunderstorm-like-sky that provides a great opportunity to capture the best shot.

6. Take a test photo

This photo, originally a test photo for the umbrella, turned out to be one of the best photos of the day because of the large tree, contrasting colors & rocky background.

7. Don't be afraid to look silly

Have fun with it! Just after this photo was taken, another photographer approached me & asked if she could take my picture. So believe me, with the tri-pod & camera gear, you're already going to look super profesh, so take your photo's fearlessly!

8. Pack a killer lunch

With the nearest gas station 15 miles away & finding a restaurant is like finding Waldo, it's best to pack your own picnic for the trip. Bring munchies for the road because the trip from Spokane to Washtucna is almost 2 hours without stops.

9. Bring the right gear

I use 2 cameras at the moment, a Gopro Hero4 & a Nikon Coolpix L32....whatever that means. Anyways, I use the Gopro for more sporty activities or anything involving water, & the Nikon when I'm in the place & time to pop out the tri-pod. All of these photos were taken on one or the other of these cameras.

10. Use the right Photo Editing App

I do all of my photo editing on my phone which I find the most convenient. I use an app called Snapseed. It's free, easy to use & I can use it on the go. Check out the before & after photo's below.

Before:

After:

My family has lived in the Northeast Washington area for almost two decades, & I'd never realized there was such a gem hidden away in the center of the state. I'm sure glad I took the time to adventure & explore this epic site!