When you think of record-breaking waterfalls, Washington definitely isn’t the first place on your mind. But it should be because it was once home to what is believed to have been the world’s largest waterfall. We’re talking about the Dry Falls cataract located in the heart of the Grand Coulee.
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Thousands of years ago, the last of the Ice Age floods swept through the Grand Coulee at speeds of around 65 miles per hour. This flood was so strong that it pushed the water over the 400-foot cliff face creating a waterfall “five times the width of Niagara Falls with ten times the flow of all the current rivers in the world combined”. However, the flow couldn’t last forever and as ice sheets melted, the river resumed normal function leaving Dry Falls high and dry.
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So while you can no longer see the massive waterfall, you can see the stunning landscape that is left behind today. The rocky outcroppings and cliffs now have plants growing on them while below there are groundwater-fed lakes full of wildlife. The area might just have you forgetting that you’re on earth as it’s definitely a little out of this world. Not to mention, it’s a testament to just how much changes with time.
Photo via Shutterstock
If you’re looking for a trip this spring, visiting Dry Falls is definitely worth your time. We feel like it and the Gorge are kind of our state’s Grand Canyon. It’s an impressive example of the power of nature and yet another reason why Washington is such a cool state. If you’d like to learn more about the falls past you can click here. And if you’d like to learn more about visiting you can click below.
Dry Falls
Where: Coulee City, Washington
Cost: $10 Discovery Pass
