Rainbow Falls is a waterfall located in Chimney Rock, Rutherford County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

History

Rainbow Falls was owned privately until it was purchased by

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

in 2003. While much of the area is expected to be developed into a state park, including the nearby Chimney Rock Park, current plans to make Rainbow Falls accessible to the public are uncertain.

Visiting the Falls

Access to Rainbow Falls is prohibited. However, it is possible to view the falls during spring and winter from at least one point on the Hickory Nut Falls trail, at

Chimney Rock Park Chimney Rock State Park is a North Carolina state park in Chimney Rock, Rutherford County, North Carolina in the United States. The park is located southeast of Asheville, North Carolina, and is owned and managed by the state of North Carolin ...

. It will be more difficult to view the falls during the summer and fall due to foliage on the trees, and binoculars will make viewing them easier.

Nearby Falls

There are several falls above the main drop of Hickory Nut Falls. Other falls in the area include: * Hickory Nut Falls * Camp Minnehaha Falls - a cascade on Grassy Creek that has a winter roadside view. To see the falls, from the Intersection of

US 74A Several special routes of U.S. Route 74 exist. In order from west to east they are as follows. Existing Asheville–Forest City alternate route U.S. Route 74 Alternate (US 74A) was established in 1994, replaced the old mainline US 74 r ...

and

NC 9 NC may refer to: People * Naga Chaitanya, an Indian Telugu film actor; sometimes nicknamed by the initials of his first and middle name, NC * Nathan Connolly, lead guitarist for Snow Patrol *Nostalgia Critic, the alter ego of Internet comedian D ...

, go .8 miles north. Parks in the pullout on the left just before the guardrail. * The Cascades - a waterfall on Grassy Creek upstream from Camp Minnehaha Falls that is on private property * Pool Creek Falls - a slide waterfall in an area currently restricted to public access, but that will be part of the new State Park * Wolf Creek Falls - another waterfall in the same restricted area

External links

Rainbow Falls at the Nature Conservency
where you may view a picture of the falls. Protected areas of Rutherford County, North Carolina Waterfalls of North Carolina Landforms of Rutherford County, North Carolina