Rainbow Falls
Trail Activities: t
- Hike
Length:
Type:
Surface:
Difficulty: Strenuous
Trail Features: t
- Trail Head
- Waterfall
- Scenic Observation
- Fee
- Camping
Summary:
Plunging over a granite cliff surrounded by granite walls, Rainbow Falls is spectacular. In the spring, azalea, meadow rue, and Solomon's plume envelope many of the boulders.
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. In the spring, azalea, meadow rue, and Solomon's plume envelope many of the boulders. Reaching Rainbow Falls is a very strenuous five-mile round-trip hike.
Departing Jones Gap, travel approximately .6 mile along the blue blazed Jones Gap Trail. At mile .6 you get to the Rainbow Falls Trail junction and follow it for another 1.6 to the falls. The Rainbow Falls Trail has red blazes on it. Rainbow Falls is located on YMCA Camp Greenville property.
Camping: Call 1-866-345-PARK (7275) or go online at www.SouthCarolinaParks.com to make your reservations today!
Directions:From Greenville, drive N on US 276 to Caesars Head State Park. Continue 2.6 miles past the park and turn right onto Solomon Jones Road. Drive 4.6 miles to a small parking area on the right. Backtrack on the road about 10 yards and turn left to access the trail.
Jones Gap State Park | 303 Jones Gap Road, Marietta, SC 29661 | (864) 836-3647 | Email
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Trail Segments (Paths) Trail Features (Points of Interest) |
Lat: 35.13001440812385 Long: -82.58621970698579 |
I do not think this trail is in service anymore; I went up there this past weekend, and there is no parking for it. I talked to someone associated with the YMCA, and he said he hadn't seen anyone use the trail from that end in many years and advised that the trail was likely overgrown. He said it is a very, very difficult hike and advised approaching Rainbow Falls from the bottom of the mountain.