Rainbow Falls

Rutherford County, North Carolina

Your visit at a glance

Waterfall height: Not recorded
Location: Rutherford County, North Carolina
Access status: Distant view only from Inspiration Point; admission fee; falls not open to the public
The walk: About 0.3 miles each way with many steps (NCWaterfalls.com)
Ground & access: Well-signed trail with many steps and a steady climb. In low flow and in summer the falls may not be visible.

NCWaterfalls.com: Rainbow Falls (Chimney Rock State Park)

Rainbow Falls, NC
Photo credit
Photo: 5minutes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rainbow Falls drops about 200 feet down the gorge wall opposite Chimney Rock. The road and path to the falls are private and the land around the tract is private, so there is no public route to the falls. View it from Inspiration Point: drive to the top of the park entrance road, follow the Skyline Trail uphill to the open rock at Inspiration Point, and use the peak finder display to locate the falls. Bring binoculars.

Plan your visit

Distant view across Hickory Nut Gorge from Inspiration Point, reached by the Skyline Trail at Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park

NCWaterfalls.com lists 0.3 miles and 376 steps from the upper parking lot to the Inspiration Point viewpoint. The falls themselves cannot be reached; this is a view from across the gorge.

Well-signed trail with many steps and a steady climb. In low flow and in summer the falls may not be visible.

Where to start

Chimney Rock Access, 743 Chimney Rock Park Road, Chimney Rock, NC (park GPS 35.4327, -82.2502). Drive the entrance road to the top and park in the lot just before the road ends.

Timing & water

October gate hours 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., with ticket sales ending at 5:30 p.m.; hours shorten in November. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. NC State Parks lists Weed Patch Mountain, Tunnel and Riverwalk trails as closed; the Skyline Trail is not on that list.

Before you go

Admission fees are charged per person at the Chimney Rock attraction. Prices and hours are set by the attraction operator.

Visitor information

Visit sources

More waterfalls nearby

Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.

Explore North Carolina

Waterfall location

Rutherford County, North Carolina.

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