Tucked deep inside South Carolina’s mountains, Rainbow Falls is the kind of place you have to work for. The trail climbs hard along a rushing river before rewarding you with a towering waterfall and a cool mist that feels amazing after all that sweat.
Hikers rate it 4.9 stars out of 242 reviews, and almost everyone agrees the payoff is worth every step. Here’s what you need to know before you lace up your boots.
Where the Falls Hide in the Blue Ridge Foothills
Set at Jones Gap Road in Marietta, South Carolina, Rainbow Falls sits inside Jones Gap State Park along the edge of the Blue Ridge foothills. The coordinates put it at roughly 35.13 north, deep in mountain country where the air smells like pine and moving water.
It’s classified as a hiking area, not a drive-up overlook, so getting to the falls means walking. The trail begins the moment you step out of the parking lot, following the Middle Saluda River before branching off toward the waterfall…