Officials remind residents of dunes safety
The Army Corps of Engineers is reminding visitors of its policies while recreating at popular sites.
The Illia Dunes and Granite Point located near the Lower Granite Dam have been drawing large crowds of college students for decades. Both sites are often overcrowded during the weeks leading up to Labor Day weekend.
Weather this weekend should be perfect for gathering at the sites. The forecast for southwestern Pullman predicts Saturday will be sunny with some haze from regional wildfires, with a high of 88 and a low of 60. Sunday will be mostly sunny with some haze, with a high of 90 and a low of 60, according to Meteorologist Laurie Nisbet at the Spokane National Weather Service.
Overcrowding and littering have caused the Corps to close the sites in recent years. The most recent closure came in early May, when hundreds of students partied at Boyer Park on the Whitman County side of the river.
The Corps wants vacationers to recreate safely and responsibly by taking care of the park so others can enjoy, as well as follow the agency’s rules to have a pleasant experience.
The Corps have the option to ban alcohol consumption on its lands at any time, according to its website. A permanent alcohol ban has been in effect at Granite Point since May 2022. While alcohol consumption is allowed at the Illia Dunes, underage drinking, beer-pong tables and drinking funnels are not allowed.
State law prohibits driving or boating under the influence. Drugs including marijuana are prohibited on federal lands, even though Washington state law allows it. Intoxicated members and their parties will be asked to leave.
Once the Illia Dunes parking lot is full, Lower Granite Dam crossing will be closed to traffic. Vehicles will still be able to return within regular crossing hours. Status of the Illia Dunes dam crossing will be updated on the Lower Granite Dam’s Facebook page.
Dam crossing hours have been extended from May 26 to Sept. 3. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Parking outside of the Corps’ parking lots is not allowed. Buses are prohibited from parking in lots. The Illia Dunes parking lot is limited to around 100 vehicles and Granite Point is limited to 16 cars.
Parking is not allowed on Almota Ferry Road near the Illia Dunes, or Wawawai Road near Granite Point. Vehicles parked along these roadways are subjected to tickets or towing.
Cliff-jumping or diving is prohibited at Granite Point and other Corps properties.
The Corps has a “pack it in, pack it out” policy, providing free trash bags for visitors to use.
Fireworks are prohibited on all Corps lands at any time.
The Corps, along with Whitman and Garfield county sheriff’s offices, Washington State Patrol and Washington Fish and Wildlife will be patrolling sites to make sure visitors recreate responsibly.