Rainbow Falls — Attraction in Highlands

The best waterfall in the SouthEast hands down, been going here for over 15 years, watch out for copperheads(toxic snakes) near trail in every season except winter though! It's a strenuous steep hike to go above Rainbow falls, basically straight up, as the falls are around 180 feet high I believe last time I checked, but that depends on water level. This waterfall has been photographed professionally and published in many books, and many others agree with me that it's one of the best, as I photograph lots of waterfalls as a hobby. It's about a 1.5 mile moderate downhill trip past a few other falls then back up slightly until you get to Rainbow Falls and it changes from gravel to dirt not far after the beginning because you technically leave park property, which keep this in mind people with servere disabilities or heart conditions should not attempt this trail, the end of Gorges park property means they will not respond to distressed hikers, that would most likely be NC Forestry or some local Rescue operations, as I've seen quite a few disabled people and severely obese people try to do this trail and basically pass out or have to have 5-6 people carry you out, so the trail is not accessible to handicapped people or regular wheel chairs either! So please don't bite off more than you can chew, if you can't walk 3 miles at least moderate up hill and downhill at sometimes a 45° slope or you aren't a decent hiker, don't attempt this trail, as it's harder going back, and that's just to see Rainbow, not above it which is the straight up part on to Turtle Back Falls!! But there are actually 5 named waterfalls on this portion of the Horsepature River, so get a book on NC Waterfalls to discover more and please don't litter so it ruins it for everyone else when they shut it...

Beautiful sight and the waterfall outlook was worth the hike to get to it! It is trail a little over 2 miles with mild difficulty and kids were walking along the way too! The hike itself was moderate not too easy a little challenging sometimes with steep inclines and slippery stairs. Going into this it seemed like it was easy enough but near the end it was super muddy and slippery with the rocks. Overall excellent bonding hike teamwork helps here and fun for the views! There were some people who braved the hidden trail but again its a try to get to the bottom at your own risk its too dangerous and the signs posted...

With a new visitors center, the hike to Rainbow falls is now well marked and easy to follow from the parking lot below. It's a moderate hike, so make sure you bring some water in a small backpack with lunch if you want to rest and enjoy this natural beauty before you hike back. I pack a few extra bottles of spring water just in case someone needs some with encouragement to not turn around and go back before they reach the falls. I've repeated this hike twice and have never been disappointed. You can also hike to Turtle falls from Rainbow falls if you want to hike further up...