Paynes Gulch Falls

Paynes Gulch Falls is found about halfway between Coulee City and Electric City along Highway 155 adjacent to Banks Lake. Watch for a bridge over a wash at the bottom of the hill 7 miles south of the main entrance to Steamboat Rock State Park, just south of a boat launch. A dirt road leads from the highway toward the falls and provides parking for multiple cars. A short trail then traverses the rest of the way to the base of the falls.Paynes Gulch Falls is one of the most significant waterfalls to be found along the east shore of Banks Lake within Grand Coulee. Though not nearly as tall as Martin Falls further up the Coulee, Paynes Gulch seems to possess a larger volume stream despite having a smaller catchment basin - possibly due to the influence of one or more springs higher up in its drainage. Though the volume of the stream is still not significant, when it flows it flows strong enough that the 286-foot tall falls are quite eye-catching, and could be argued to be the best waterfall in Grand Coulee. The falls are tucked into a deep recess in the cliff, and even the small volume of water present in the creek is enough to elicit a surprisingly significant roar thanks to the amplification of the surrounding amphitheater-like cliffs. Aerial imagery available on Google Earth indicates there to be another tier to the falls about 280 feet upstream from the brink of the main drop, however it cannot be seen from below and the tall, sheer cliffs in the area prevent any direct exploration (it may be possible to access via a cross-country hike of about a mile and a half however). How tall this upper tier is cannot be determined from topographic data alone, but it seems likely to stand at least 50 feet tall. Like all the other waterfalls in Grand Coulee, Paynes Gulch Falls is effectively an ephemeral waterfall. The flow was moderately healthy when we visited in April 2017, a few weeks after a significant snow fall event, but how long the stream will sustain beyond snow melt is not entirely clear. It seems likely that it will flow the longest of all the waterfalls in Grand Coulee, but perhaps only by a week or two. Expect it to be dry by May in most years.