WASHINGTON — There are many places in our state worth seeing. “Hidden gems” are everywhere, some big and some small. Some are even hiding in plain sight.
One place that falls under the category of “Big and Hiding in Plain Sight” is the world’s largest waterfall, located only a few hours’ drive east of Seattle.
Yes, that’s right, the largest waterfall in the world is right here in Washington.
It’s currently old and dry, but when it was active, the size and scope of this waterfall was nothing short of amazing.
Dry Falls is located in Grant County, and it formed during the last Ice Age, roughly 15,000 – 18,000 years ago.
During that time, there was a massive glacial ice sheet that extended from Canada to the current U.S. border. The ice was part of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, and its presence in current day Idaho and Montana blocked rivers and streams, which created a massive lake called Lake Missoula.
During the time of that last Ice Age, the lake would regularly break through the ice and create cataclysmic flooding, which spread across Washington and Oregon.
The flow of water was like nothing we can comprehend in modern times. Geologists estimate flood waters to be over 300 feet deep and moving at 65 miles per hour.
Every time this happened, the landscape in Washington changed. The results of these Ice Age floods are super interesting to see, if you know where to look.
Dry Falls may be a good place to start your journey through the Ice Age Flood zones.
If you want to know more about the Ice Age Flood sites stretching from Oregon to Montana, click here.
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