Accessibility – Moderate+
Height – 50+’
Distance – 6.4 miles or more (out and back)
Beauty – 6
Photo rating – 5
Solitude – 2
GPS Info: LAT 35.66238 LONG -83.46375
Last Updated – 12-31-2024
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Kind of a crazy thing: I first did this waterfall in August of 2020, and I hiked down from the Mt LeConte summit of May of 2023 on the Rainbow Falls Trail, but somehow Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls never made it onto my waterfall list. Rainbow Falls was my penultimate hike on the CMC 100 Waterfall Challenge, but It wasn’t until I was redoing the Smokies Page in December of 2024 that I realized they were missing. These two should have numbers in the mid-600s not the 1000s.
Rainbow Falls is in the Cherokee Orchard area of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, very close to downtown Gatlinburg. As a starting point for three of the Mt LeConte Summit Trails, Baskins Creek Falls, Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls, parking is a nightmare. As with any hike in the Smokies, check at the visitor center before heading to the trailhead or visit the park website for a current list of closed trails and roads.
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
Where to park: The Rainbow Falls parking area is at 35.67747, -83.48177, which is the main lot and the actual trailhead, but there are others along the road at varying distances from the actual trailhead. My parking spot was 0.4 of a mile from the trailhead. Good luck, and keep in mind, this is the Smokes and you will need a parking pass. There are always rangers in this area.
The hike: Due to the parking issues in this area, my hike directions and distances start up the road a little ways, not the trailhead. From the Rainbow Falls trailhead, hike less than 0.1 of a mile to the junction. The Old Sugarlands Trail goes to the right, Trillium Gap to the left and Rainbow Falls straight ahead. The trail starts the ascent immediately and it doesn’t let up. From the TH to the falls, the trail is 2.6 miles and it gains 1600 feet in elevation. The climb is near continuous with only a few flat sections. On my first visit, I went up and back to the falls, and the second time I came down from the summit. The trail is soo steep in places that it’s hard to make good time. The trail comes out at the falls and continues up the other side.
River right seems to have the most people, but I like the view from higher up on river left. It is a neat spot to hang out, but the flow in my pictures is atypical. This one can be a bit of a dribbler, so I suggest going after some rain. The only thing worse than ending up at a big, wet rock it hiking more than six miles to see a big, wet rock!
