Dry Falls

Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park / Coulee City / Ephrata / Soap Lake, Washington, USA

About Dry Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Dry Falls is the geological legacy of one of the largest waterfalls ever documented (albeit through geological forensics since no one was actually there and documented it when it happened).

How big of a waterfall are we talking about?

Dry_Falls_032_06192021 - As much of the extent of Dry Falls that I could see
As much of the extent of Dry Falls that I could see

It had a rim that was 3.5 miles wide and 400ft tall, which allegedly would have made it the largest waterfall in the world.

To give you an idea of how this compares to what I call the “Big Three”, Iguazu Falls is nearly 2 miles in cumulative width, Victoria Falls is about a mile wide, and Niagara Falls is nearly 0.6-mile in cumulative width.

While other large waterfalls have disappeared or been severely impacted due to manmade intervention (e.g. Sete Quedas or Guaira Falls), Dry Falls was an exhibition of Mother Nature’s violence.

Experiencing Dry Falls

As far as visiting the Dry Falls, it was pretty much as simple as driving up to the Dry Falls Visitor Center, where there was a fairly large parking lot (see directions below).

Dry_Falls_010_06192021 - If this artist rendition of Dry Falls when it was flowing is accurate, then the overlooks at the visitor center only allowed us to see the horseshoe with protruding buttes on the waterfall's western third of the drawing!
If this artist rendition of Dry Falls when it was flowing is accurate, then the overlooks at the visitor center only allowed us to see the horseshoe with protruding buttes on the waterfall’s western third of the drawing!

Throughout the parking area, we were able to look out at the cliffs that once harbored the massive waterfall, but there was one corner where a lookout protruded further out from the cliffs near a shelter.

On the opposite side of the parking area, there was a visitor center as well as some refreshments or ice cream stands.

During our visit in mid-June 2021, that visitor center was closed (likely due to COVID-19) so we can’t say anything more about what else we could have learned and experienced from within its confines.

In any case, as far as witnessing the view before us, it was hard to wrap our heads around the scale of the Dry Falls, especially since the overlook only seemed to reveal the western third of its overall width!

Dry_Falls_026_06192021 - Julie and Tahia on the protruding part of the overlook area. Note that the butte on the far right side of this picture is the same butte shown in the left side of the drawing shown above!
Julie and Tahia on the protruding part of the overlook area. Note that the butte on the far right side of this picture is the same butte shown in the left side of the drawing shown above!

We couldn’t even see the other two-thirds of its overall width due to an elongated butte or island obstructing the far right side of Dry Falls.

I did notice some vehicles driving an unpaved road within the basin of where Dry Falls once flowed, and perhaps there may be other opportunities or ways to experience the falls, but we haven’t pursued them.

Why Talk About A Waterfall That No Longer Exists?

Technically, Dry Falls shouldn’t even have a write-up on this website since it isn’t really a legitimate waterfall.

Indeed, it’s really more of a geological attraction than a waterfall attraction, but then again, aren’t waterfalls in general also a consequence of the earth’s geology at some point in their history?

Dry_Falls_001_iPhone_06192021 - Looking towards the Dry Falls Visitor Center and some accompanying refreshment stands
Looking towards the Dry Falls Visitor Center and some accompanying refreshment stands

Regardless, I decided to devote a write-up about Dry Falls because it is the geological legacy of one of the largest waterfalls ever documented (albeit through geological forensics).

Of course, using the term “waterfalls” can mean different things to different people because shouldn’t the waterfall have had some permanence when it was flowing in the way that Niagara Falls perennially flows?

However, in the case of Dry Falls, we’re really looking at a blip in the geological time scale because it was pretty much a flash flood for all intents and purposes.

So should ephemeral flash flood waterfalls be considered legitimate?

Dry_Falls_057_06192021 - Julie checking out the more downstream parts of Dry Falls, but we're still unable to see (without a drone or from the elevated confines of the visitor center) the other two-thirds of the waterfall due to the long butte in the way on the topleft of this picture
Julie checking out the more downstream parts of Dry Falls, but we’re still unable to see (without a drone or from the elevated confines of the visitor center) the other two-thirds of the waterfall due to the long butte in the way on the topleft of this picture

I’ll leave that up for debate, but when we drove towards Coulee City, we noticed that there was a dam that actually held up water that would have drained and fallen over Dry Falls!

Therefore, Dry Falls could have actually still been a legitimate waterfall (albeit a much smaller version of its former self) had the dam by Coulee City as well as the Grand Coulee Dam even further upstream not been there to obstruct its flow to the Columbia River.

What Caused Dry Falls?

The prevailing theory of its formation so far is that an Ice Age glacial ice dam held up the Glacial Lake Missoula, which was about the size of Lake Huron covering most of Western Montana.

At some point, the ice dam failed, which released most of the lake’s waters in what seemed like the mother of all flash floods.

Dry_Falls_039_06192021 - The Dry Falls Visitor Center was closed during our visit in mid-June 2021 so we didn't get a chance to gain any more information other than what was available in the signs along the northeastern side of the overlook area
The Dry Falls Visitor Center was closed during our visit in mid-June 2021 so we didn’t get a chance to gain any more information other than what was available in the signs along the northeastern side of the overlook area

It left a geological legacy known as the Scablands throughout Central and Eastern Washington.

Dry Falls is one of the remnants of the Great Missoula Flood, but it was also responsible for a re-route of the ancient Palouse River to its present course resulting in the Palouse Falls.

There is apparently evidence to suggest that the Great Missoula Flood was not a singular event, and that it might have occurred multiple times throughout past Ice Ages.

For more information about this geologic puzzle, there is a well-made video showing a computer simulation of the flash flood event, which you can view here.

Dry_Falls_015_06192021 - Looking across some educational signboards towards the lookout shelter at the corner of the parking lot for the Dry Falls Visitor Center
Looking across some educational signboards towards the lookout shelter at the corner of the parking lot for the Dry Falls Visitor Center

I’ve also found an in-depth article about the Great Missoula Flood from PBS, which you can also read about here.

Authorities

Dry Falls resides in the Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park near Coulee City in Grant County, Washington. It is administered by the Washington State Parks. For information or inquiries about this area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: sun lakes, grant county, ephrata, soap lake, coulee city, missoula flood



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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