In Northern Idaho there is a huge area of rolling hills that will make you feel like you just stepped out of a plane to Ireland. The Palouse is worth seeing at least once. It is massively photographed because of it's uniqueness and beauty. So what exactly is the area and why does it look like this?

Wikipedia says, "The Palouse is a distinct geographic region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of north central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and, by some definitions, parts of northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes. Situated about 160 miles north of the Oregon Trail, the region experienced rapid growth in the late 19th century."

I mean just look at some of these photos, it looks like another world.

 

 

 

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Country Living named the area one of the most "Truly Fascinating Places You Won't Believe Are in the United States" saying "If you're yearning for the hills of Ireland, did you know you can find something very similar in Idaho? The Palouse is a wheat-growing region with rolling hills — they're emerald green in the spring, then turn yellow-gold in the summer and fall."

So why does the area look so different than anywhere else in the states? It has a lot to do with how they were formed. Only in Your State says, "Looking at the hills, you will see that there are no long valleys and the hills don't connect to form ridges. The hills are actually made up of a sediment called loess, which is comprised of wind blown sediment. The hills themselves actually look like sand dunes, because they were formed in pretty much the same way."

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