Rainbow Falls NC: the hike. To reach Rainbow Falls, you'll need to hike 1.5 miles from Gorges State Park at the Grassy Ridge Parking area (drive about 2 miles after entering the park). in Google Earth for viewing. You'll get soaked, too. Although the Rainbow Falls Trail is difficult and will take 3-5 hours to hike, this is one of the most enjoyable and scenic hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains. Follow gravel trail downhill for 1 mi (easy), then meets Horsepasture River. The old roadbed continues downhill as well, and its surface has also been graveled. Details about taking this hike: Trail: Rainbow Falls Trail. All reviews turtleback falls strenuous hike great hike welcome center well worth the effort beautiful waterfall hiking trails visitor center was closed steep steps worth the trip sliding rock take your time viewing area rainbow rocks path sticks spray shoes maps nc. Go left, down a small scramble path onto the river rocks, to get a view of Drift Falls across its plunge pool. In the spring, azalea, meadow rue, and Solomon's plume envelope many of the boulders. Explore western North Carolina's most beautiful waterfalls on these top hikes near Asheville. It is one of the most incredible waterfalls in the Blue Ridge Mountains. August 2003 Starting from Light 8 in Gatlinburg, turn onto Historic Nature Trail / Airport Road. The trail continues around Turtleback Falls, crossing a small trickling tributary, and then comes out on the rocks above the main drop. Rainbow Falls, Stairway Falls, Turtle-back Falls, and Bust-yo-butt Falls! Another path splits left just before the trail goes into the forest. There is a nice swimming hole at the base of the falls for those adventurous visitors looking for a place to cool off. The 5.4 mile roundtrip hike is considered moderate in difficulty. Rainbow Falls, SC. It's still called the Rainbow Falls trail (#499). Gorges State Park. Rainbow Falls earns its label honestly, though the namesake phenomenon only happens under certain conditions: On sunny afternoons, particularly in summer, the sunshine on the wafting mist of the waterfall produces a rainbow effect that’s spectacular to witness. Photo journals of hikes in Michigan, the Great Lakes region, North Carolina and the Rockies. Lots of mountain laurel and rhododendren make for a great hike in late spring. Maybe you’ll luck out! This frontal view of the falls is the best place to see the rainbows in the mist that give the falls its name. Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Hike Details Difficulty: Moderate Length: 1.5 miles each way to Rainbow Falls, an additional 1 mile round-trip to Turtleback Falls Region: Duration of hike: 30 minutes each way (add an extra 10 each way for Turtleback) Elevation gain: 800 Feet Type: Out & Back Blazes: Orange Circles Facilities & Parking: Parking lot, portable toilet The hike to Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains begins from the Rainbow Falls Trailhead, located just outside of Gatlinburg. Gorges State Park. That trail is now closed. History. Trails leaves the state park and enter national forest and gets somewhat rough. Horsepasture River and Nature Trails: Rainbow Falls Trail is a 'must do' if you are in the market for a strenuous/adventurous hike! My research kept taking me back to Rainbow Falls. Hiking Distance: 2.7 miles one way to Rainbow Falls. If you have Google Earth installed, clicking the KML link should open the trail or point directly JavaScript must be enabled in order for you to use Google Maps. These falls are spectacular and worth seeing in any season. As you hike up the Rainbow Falls Trail, at about 1.5 miles, you’ll see and hear this amazing waterfall to your left. The roar of the river grows louder before fading completely as you dip into a side cove. The Horsepasture River thunders down a 125-foot drop spraying up a mist that creates rainbows that sparkle in the sunlight. Also an ever-growing collection of lighthouse, waterfall, wildflower and historic site photos. so if you're not sure which one to download, KML is a good bet. About 1/2 mile past the campsite, the trail curves right, into an open area created by mist from the raging cascade. Rainbow Falls NC. They're also notoriously difficult to photograph, since when the sun is shining, the light is not always the best - and the mist will be constantly trying to soak your lens and ruin your camera. alltrails.com At about the halfway point, the trail turns to the right to head up to Rainbow Falls. Rainbow Falls, SC. Lots of mountain laurel and rhododendren make for a great hike in late spring. This is a moderate one way trail to Rainbow Falls in Pisgah National Forest. But be sure to stay back from the private property line. Rainbow Falls NC: hiking Gorges State Park. The hike begins at the trailhead for Rainbow Falls and descends steeply to Horsepasture River. Rainbow Falls in upstate South Carolina is a gorgeous 80-100' free falling waterfall on Cox Camp Creek. Continuing upriver, Turtleback Falls (Umbrella Falls) are reached in 0.3miles. The hike begins at the trailhead for Rainbow Falls and descends steeply to Horsepasture River. Rainbow Falls NC. You start inside Gorges State Park, and then cross into Forest Service land. Drive to parking lot at the end of road (2 mi in). You mentioned Pisgah National Forest another that needs to further hike for another mile and half. Reaching Rainbow Falls is a very strenuous five-mile round-trip hike. To hike to Rainbow Falls from the Gorges State Park parking lot, follow the trail for 5 minutes, bearing right at the intersection. Go 0.9 miles South on NC 281 from US 64 to the park entrance road on the left. A moderate 1.7 mile hike gets you to the first two falls but a little trail takes you up to the third one that boasts a swimming hole at it's base. Rainbow Falls Trail is a moderate 3 or 4 mile out & back hike located in Gorges State Park in Western North Carolina. If you are a fan of these beautiful sky images, there is one spot about 55 miles from Asheville that you need to visit. After driving another 2.2 miles you'll enter the one-way Cherokee Orchard Loop Road. This little spur runs close to the base of the falls on the right side, to a neat view of it from beside the cliff. I'm pretty sure the figures here are accurate, but if you have some more data or something to share that shows it's farther I'll be glad to take a look! On a hot day lingering near the base will give you a very cooling mist. In past years the only access to this waterfall was by way of a steep trail from Camp Greenville at the NC/SC border south of Brevard, NC. Bear right to continue on the trail. Rainbow Falls in upstate South Carolina is a gorgeous 80-100' free falling waterfall on Cox Camp Creek. Hikers report that the beautiful Rainbow Falls, lush vegatation, and amazing scenery make the difficult hike well worth it. From the Visitor Center the trail leads upstream to spectacular Rainbow Falls. It is one of the most incredible waterfalls in the Blue Ridge Mountains. That meant we had to descend from the trailhead then ascend towards the Rainbow Falls before having to repeat this V-shaped elevation profile on the way back to the trailhead. The trail accesses the Horse Pasture River and follows it upstream. After driving 0.7 miles veer right onto Cherokee Orchard Road, upon which you'll enter into Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Park there. KML is the main file type used by Google Earth. Much of the hike to Rainbow Falls, which begins at Jones Gap State Park (seen here at the start of the trail on the right side of the map), follows along the Middle Saluda River. to show the area you need. At this point you're near the river. The strong sun and constant mist mean all the mud, grass, and rocks are completely covered by an impossibly slippery slime. Directions: Entrance from Hwy 281 (Whitewater Hwy) approx 1 mi south of Sapphire NC (junc US HWY 64). Start the hike on the trail leading away from the sign boards. Rainbow Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfall settings in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Click a trail for more details and to download it individually. Rainbow Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in the park and definitely one of the most photographed. From the very beginning, you can hear the roar of the Horsepasture River in the valley far below, which you'll reach in about 1 mile. Michele C wrote a review Nov 2020. This is a moderate one way trail to Rainbow Falls in Pisgah National Forest. The hike to Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains begins from the Rainbow Falls Trailhead, located just outside of Gatlinburg. Tip: Printing this map? The best feature of Rainbow Falls is the ability for visitors to experience the falls from the front, bottom, side and top! https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/tennessee/rainbow-falls-trail The trail then follows the river to the waterfall. Angela said: I am looking to hike the Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls. It's eroded in places, with steep side slopes eating into the trail surface. The trail comes out at a point on the ridge near the top of the falls. Between trailhead and falls, Rainbow Falls Trail gains about 1,500' in elevation. These falls are spectacular and worth seeing in any season. From downtown Brevard, NC, it is just over 18 miles on US 64 West to the intersection with NC Hwy 281 South - turn left. Hover over a trail to see it highlighted. However, the trail - and optionally, the hike - continues about a half mile further upstream to a couple of smaller cascades and waterfalls. Rainbow Falls NC. Do not bring young children, but it highly recommended for those who are capable of hiking a moderately difficult 5+ mile trail. Rainbow Falls, Stairway Falls, Turtle-back Falls, and Bust-yo-butt Falls! We have done this hike several times. Explore western North Carolina's most beautiful waterfalls on these top hikes near Asheville. This is a easy out and back trail to Drift Falls in Gorges State Park. Remember, that's ASCENDING on the way out. Rainbow Falls Trail located in Gorges State Park, NC is a rally nice deep woods hike, that begins in Gorges State Park and ends in Pisgah National Forest at either Rainbow Falls or Turtleback Falls.. Drive to parking lot at the end of road (2 mi in). The first section of trail you will hike has a gravel surface. Within the next .3 mi you will come upon Turtleback falls (10ft), and a 3rd ' sliding rock falls (40ft). I took a pint bottle and could have used more... Lots of mountain laurel and rhododendren make for a great hike in late spring. 135. It is an in and back hike that is ~3 miles total (1.5 in and 1.5 out). It's 1½ miles to the BORDER of the state park and at least another 1½ miles in the Pisgah National Forest till you get to the falls, making it closer to a SIX MILE round trip. If you are a fan of these beautiful sky images, there is one spot about 55 miles from Asheville that you need to visit. You can return to your vehicle from here to make this a 3-mile round trip hike as officially advertised by the State Park. The trail then follows the river to the waterfall. It takes about 2.2 miles to get to the base of the waterfall from the park's registration area. An excellent 3-mile round trip hike takes you there, accessible from the newly expanded Gorges State Park access area. After driving 0.7 miles veer right onto Cherokee Orchard Road, upon which you'll enter into Great Smoky Mountain National Park. A few years back, a new trail was constructed from Jones Gap State Park. This article used to be a step-by-step guide to finding this hidden gem. Rainbow Falls Trail is most likely the rockiest of all the trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mark Mikrut said: Please revise the length you report for the hike to Rainbow Falls. The hike is rated strenuous, not due to the length, but due to the hilly nature of the trail itself. This 150-ft. tall waterfall is impressive, especially after rainy weather that swells the Horsepasture River. Rainbow Falls is a beautiful waterfall just minutes from downtown Chattanooga in the town of Signal Mountain, Tennessee. The hike departs from the Grassy Ridge trailhead in Gorges State Park, near Cashiers, NC (view maps and driving directions).Gorges State Park is one of the newest in North Carolina’s state park system, and with an annual rainfall of over 80 inches, the park classifies as a temperate rain forest. The hike starts at the overcrowded Rainbow Falls trailhead in Gorges State Park and follows the same route as Rainbow Falls for 1.1 miles. A Cold-weather Hike Can Turn Up Another Visual Treat Copyright © trailpeak.com & trailpeak.ca 2020. It's about a mile to the Rainbow Falls parking area straight ahead, past the visitor center and turn-off for the loop road. 1 mi. Rainbow Falls is one of the biggest and most scenic falls in the region. Rainbow Falls at Gorges State Park, N.C., a beautiful hike in stunning GoPro 4K quality (4k 60fps). The trail climbs steeply as it winds up and around toward the top of Rainbow Falls. Entrance from Hwy 281 (Whitewater Hwy) approx 1 mi south of Sapphire NC (junc US HWY 64). There are several cascades along this stretch of river, interspersed by deep pools - but nothing like what lies just upstream. Base layer images are subject to the respective copyright policies of their owners. (There are plenty of signs to remind you). Although the Rainbow Falls Trail is difficult and will take 3-5 hours to hike, this is one of the most enjoyable and scenic hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains. When you've seen enough, return to your vehicle on the same path. Several more smaller falls and some more scenery are located above Rainbow Falls, in case you're up for a longer hike of 4 miles round-trip. An excellent 3-mile round trip hike takes you there, accessible from the newly expanded Gorges State Park access area. Rainbow Falls is a 150-foot waterfall that boasts impressive 360-degree views. Rainbow Falls drops 100 feet over steep walls streaked with black and tan from the alternating layers of amphibolite gneiss, granitic gneiss, and mica schist. Scroll down to see more content This 5 waterfall hike is a 4 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Lake Toxaway, NC that features 4 waterfalls and is rated moderate. Use caution - it's not a cliff or anything, but it's a steep dirt slope below the trail. The GPX format stands for GPS Exchange - a free, open, XML format for exchanging GPS and map data. The hike is rated strenuous, not due to the length, but due to the hilly nature of the trail itself. The trail seemed pretty easy at first, but got more difficult as we went. Click on a route, trail, or point on the map and select the GPS Data tab to download its data. Review of Gorges State Park. A few years back, a new trail was constructed from Jones Gap State Park. In the spring, azalea, meadow rue, and Solomon's plume envelope many of the boulders. Rainbow Falls is tall, and absolutely gorgeous. 20 minutes further, the trail enters the Nantahala National Forest, with a side trail to the left that heads to Stairway Falls. Veer to the right to continue to Rainbow Falls … GPX is compatible with Google Earth, Reaching Rainbow Falls is a very strenuous five-mile round-trip hike. WNCOutdoors data is made freely available under the Follow trail upriver passing access points and several rapids and minor falls. I wasn't very scientific in my earlier assessment. This is the native file format used by Google Earth, but many other map applications can use and understand KML as well, At mile 3.4, just after the road becomes one-way, turn right into the Rainbow Falls Parking Area. You will cross into South Carolina approx. To hike to Rainbow Falls, visitors access Gorges State Park off of NC Hwy 281 and park near the trailhead. The falls is located on the Horsepasture River. Several more smaller falls and some more scenery are located above Rainbow Falls, in case you're up for a longer hike of 4 miles round-trip. This trail goes by a spur trail leading to Stairway Falls. Base layers may not be The trail winds downhill through a ridge-top forest and intersects an old roadbed just after a hairpin turn. Trail continues upriver (downhill splits to falls access). From the Visitor Center the trail leads upstream to spectacular Rainbow Falls. The Hike to Rainbow Falls Julie starting the hike to Rainbow Falls from the Grassy Ridge Trailhead. All the research I did, didn't really prepare me for just how big Rainbow Falls actually are. You'll get your feet wet on this one if the water is up. At this point a spur trail heads left and stars to descend toward the Horsepasture River. Scroll and zoom the map before printing, and that view will persist into the printed image. available at all times due to system maintenance or outages. It's about another 1/4 mile to Drift Falls from here. The trail winds through a flat area, crosses over a small tributary stream, and ends abruptly at a huge sign at the private property boundary. Feb 17, 2018 - Let's hike! The marked trail ends at Rainbow Falls, however hikers can continue upstream about 1/4 mile to Turtleback Falls. It's a little over a mile straight on the main road to the parking area for the Rainbow Falls trail. sources, including ensembles of our own GPS tracks, user contributed GPS tracks, official maps and GIS data from Waterfalls are always amazing, and Rainbow Falls has three! Rainbow Falls is one of the biggest and most scenic falls in the region. This section is gradual downhill, so the trek back will mostly uphill. This adventure follows the most direct route to the falls, departing from the Cold Mountain Gap trailhead east of Cashiers (view maps and driving directions).From the trailhead, the hike follows the Panthertown Valley Trail to the northwest, marked with pink trail blazes. many other mapping programs, and most GPS devices (such as Garmin). One spot climbs up over a rock outcrop which gives you a neat view down on the river from above. Once the trail leaves Gorges State Park and enters the National Forest, camping is allowed anywhere along the trail. This is a easy out and back trail to Drift Falls in Gorges State Park. Take at least a quart of water. This trail goes by a spur trail leading to Stairway Falls. Thankfully, there is plenty of room to view the falls from National Forest property. Park there. During a flood, the wind coming up the slope here is almost enough to knock you off your feet! Trail Description The beginning of the Rainbow Falls trail is newly built, graveled, and easy. It takes about 2.2 miles to get to the base of the waterfall from the park's registration area. Reaching Rainbow Falls is a very strenuous five-mile round-trip hike. But you've seen what's just downstream, and people have been swept from here all the way over the brink of Rainbow Falls. The trail descends a bit more steeply to another, larger creek crossing. Do not bring young children, but it highly recommended for those who are capable of hiking a moderately difficult 5+ mile trail. Helps to see start and end points for an individual trail. September 2019. You'll reach a junction - the rocky trail to the right, going steeply uphill, used to lead to NC 281. So bear left, continuing to follow the river. During extended winter cold spells, an impressive ice formation builds around the falls. This 150-ft. tall waterfall is impressive, especially after rainy weather that swells the Horsepasture River. Many people leave safety and go out the rocks or even into the water near the brink of the falls; many have unnecessarily died here trying to do just that. At times, the trail is very close to the river; at other times, it climbs uphill a bit further away. Load the file directly into your GPS to help find your way on your next trip! Continuing upriver, Turtleback Falls (Umbrella Falls) are reached in 0.3miles. With no experience at these trails, it will be nice to hear what you have to say. Open Database License - you are free to copy and use In the spring, azalea, meadow rue, and Solomon's plume envelope many of the boulders. Start the hike on the trail leading away from the sign boards. The trail to Rainbow Falls begins there, blazed with orange circles until you reach the National Forest - about half way. 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