Great Smoky Mountains NP: Rainbow Falls Trail (Blog Hike #219)

Trail: Rainbow Falls Trail

Hike Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Geographic Location: south of Gatlinburg, TN (35.67575, -83.48560)

Length: 5.6 miles
Difficulty: 9/10 (Difficult)

Dates Hiked: May 2007, May 2016

Overview: A long, fairly difficult and rocky climb to a very pretty waterfall.

Waterfall Information: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/waterfalls.htm
Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=440151
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: In downtown Gatlinburg, take The Parkway (US 441) to Cherokee Orchard Rd.(traffic light #8).  Turn south on Cherokee Orchard Road.  Follow signs for the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which starts at the edge of Gatlinburg.  Drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail 3.4 miles from traffic light #8 to the signed parking area for the Rainbow Falls Trail.  Park in this parking lot.

The hike: For my general comments on Great Smoky Mountains National Park, see my Abrams Falls hike.  Though not the highest nor the biggest (in terms of volume), Rainbow Falls is probably the most photographed and most famous waterfall in the park.  The waterfall is not reachable by everyone since the trail to the falls is not easy.  Still, those who make the journey will be rewarded, and most people will be able to reach the falls by taking their time on the climb.

Rainbow Falls Trailhead

            The trail starts at a wooden sign at the west end of the parking area across from some port-o-lets.  Immediately the trail begins a moderate climb.  After only 0.1 miles, the Rainbow Falls Trail intersects the Trillium Gap Trail, which exits to the left and heads 9 miles to Mt. Le Conte.  On its way, the Trillium Gap Trail passes Grotto Falls (another pretty waterfall that is worth the hike) and Trillium Gap.

            Just past the intersection, Le Conte Creek can be seen and heard rushing over rocks to the right.  The first 0.3 miles of the Rainbow Falls Trail is gravel, but soon the small stones of gravel yield to larger stones in the treadway that will be present for the rest of the hike.  Be sure to wear proper footwear with good ankle support on account of the rocky trail.

Climbing on the Rainbow Falls Trail

            At 0.7 miles, following one of the steeper parts of the climb, the trail comes out on top of a bluff overlooking a rocky cascade in Le Conte Creek.  A rock at this overlook makes for a nice place to rest.  From here, the trail curves left, leaving the creek for the first time.  In another 0.2 miles, the trail comes out at a rocky outcrop.  During the leafless months, this outcrop provides a nice view of Gatlinburg, which is now some 1000 feet below you.

            The trail takes a sharp right turn at this outcrop and begins heading back toward the creek.  Some large boulders line the trail along this section, and the climb is not as steep.  At 1.5 miles, the trail crosses Le Conte Creek for the first of three times on a footlog.

Le Conte Creek

            Now on the west side of the creek, the trail continues climbing, this time along the first of three broad switchbacks.  The contour of the hillside here is steep, but the switchbacks ensure that the grade is never more than moderate.  The forest here contains some large stately hemlocks.

            Past the switchbacks, the trail crosses a couple of tributaries to Le Conte Creek on stepping stones.  The second of these crossings occurs just beneath a small waterfall.  Don’t worry: you haven’t hiked all this way to see this waterfall.  Rainbow Falls is much bigger.

Small waterfall on tributary to Le Conte Creek

            At 2.7 miles, the trail crosses Le Conte Creek for the second time on a footlog.  A couple of small switchbacks through a rocky area put you within sight of Rainbow Falls.  Le Conte Creek spills 80 feet over a rock ledge to create one of the highest falls in the park.  Since this waterfall is nearly 4100 feet in elevation (some 1600 feet higher than the trailhead), the creek does not have enough volume to create a large thunderous waterfall.  Thus, this waterfall must be admired for its beauty and not its power.  To reach the base of the falls, you must scramble over some rocks, but this is not really necessary to get a great view of the waterfall.  In fact, I took my best photo balancing myself on the footlog the Rainbow Falls Trail uses to cross Le Conte Creek immediately below the falls.

Rainbow Falls

Footlog below Rainbow Falls

            The Rainbow Falls Trail continues for another 4 miles to reach the summit of Mt. LeConte, but there are no other major points of interest along the way, and the trail does not form a nice loop.  Thus, most hikers will want to retrace their steps 2.8 miles downhill on the Rainbow Falls Trail to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.