State Closes Some Palouse Falls Trails

KAHLOTUS, Wash. (AP) — The state has erected fences closing some trails around scenic Palouse Falls as a safety measure.

The Tri-City Herald reported that temporary fencing has been in place at Palouse Falls State Park for two months, limiting the trails that people can hike at the park.

State Parks and Recreation Commission spokeswoman Toni Droscher says the fences were set up because people use unauthorized trails to venture into potentially dangerous areas.

Many visitors to the park walk past the end of a maintained trail, then down a dirt slope to an area near Union Pacific railroad tracks. They then go down a rocky switchback to reach the rapids of the Palouse River, just upstream from the falls.

Palouse Falls, located near Kahlotus, was named Washington's state waterfall last year.