; ?]])
MVT WebCam ; ?]])
Parking lot, restroom will also be closed
SOAP LAKE – April 16, 2026 – The Dry Falls Visitor Center on State Route 17 near Coulee City, including the restrooms, parking lot and scenic overlook, will be closing for major renovations on April 20.
The closest year-round restrooms are in Coulee City, Soap Lake and at Sun Lakes State Park three miles away.
What visitors should know
Dry Falls Visitor Center, which turned 60 this year, is getting a much-needed upgrade, including replacement of original infrastructure and features. This will improve public safety, accessibility and visitor experience. The center is expected to reopen next summer.
Key improvements include:
- Accessibility: Renovating bathrooms to meet ADA standards, improving the wheelchair lift and adding ADA parking spots.
- Safety and infrastructure: Installing a new HVAC system, new electrical and fiber conduits and a new roof.
- Preservation: Repairing the historic rock wall along the parking lot and refreshing the exterior stucco. The center's beloved retro, mid-century "box TV" look will be preserved.
Alternative activities
While the Dry Falls Visitor Center is closed, neighboring Sun Lakes-Dry Falls State Park will stay open for camping and recreation.
The geological wonder of Dry Falls, once a 3.5-mile-wide, 400-foot-tall waterfall that rivaled Niagra Falls, can be seen from spots at Sun Lakes.
State Parks staff will host educational programs at Potholes, Sun Lakes and Steamboat Rock this spring and summer.
Ice Age Flood enthusiasts can see Ice-Age-Flood-carved channeled scabland landscapes on the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail at:
- Steamboat Rock,
- Palouse Falls,
- Ginkgo Petrified Forest (and neighboring Frenchman Coulee).
When planning a trip to the area, visitors are encouraged to check the Dry Falls Visitor Center's project webpage for updates on the renovation schedule and Calendar of Events for alternative program offerings.
