Rainbow Falls Trail (Great Smoky Mountains) Hiking Guide
Rainbow Falls is the Gatlinburg-side waterfall hike that surprises people. The name sounds like a stroll, but the park calls the climb relatively steep, with about 1,500 feet of elevation gain before you reach the falls. The payoff is a misty falls where a rainbow often shows in the spray on a sunny afternoon.
Permit: A Great Smoky Mountains parking tag is required to park at the Cherokee Orchard Road trailhead for more than 15 minutes: $5 per day, $15 per week or $40 per year, one vehicle per tag. The park has no entrance fee and day hikes need no permit.
Distance Depends on Who You Ask
Even the park gives two figures: its Rainbow Falls page says 5.6 miles round trip, while its Roaring Fork page says 5.4. AllTrails also measures 5.4 miles, with about 1,597 feet of gain, close to the park's 1,500-foot estimate. AllTrails estimates three and a half to four hours, and nearly all of the climbing comes on the way in.
On the Trail
The path runs beside a creek and crosses three bridges, climbing through varied forest with some big old-growth trees. You will also walk through burn scars from the 2016 fire. The trail is well used and maintained, but the park rates its surface very steep and rocky, so trekking poles help on the descent. Rocks around the base of the falls stay wet and slick. The park says drowning is one of its leading causes of death and that climbing around waterfalls has caused countless injuries, so admire this one from the trail.
Going On to LeConte
Rainbow Falls Trail keeps climbing past the falls to Mount LeConte, 6.7 miles from the trailhead and 13 miles round trip. Above the falls it crosses the junctions with the Bullhead, Alum Cave and Trillium Gap trails near the summit. The park suggests switching to the Bullhead Trail when streams are high, and warns that this route is often icy in winter. In 2026 Bullhead is closed Monday through Thursday for rehabilitation through November 19, so check the day before you plan that swap.
Parking at Cherokee Orchard
The trailhead is on Cherokee Orchard Road above Gatlinburg; turn off the Parkway at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail Road into the park. The upper and lower lots share 48 spaces and fill early on busy days, so the park recommends a shuttle. Pit toilets are at the trailhead. The one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail starts just past the second Rainbow Falls lot, and the park expects that road to be busy in fall. Its Roaring Fork page notes that parking tags can't be bought in this area, so get one in town or online first.
Hiking tips for Rainbow Falls Trail (Great Smoky Mountains)
- Aim for a sunny afternoon at the falls if you want the best chance at the rainbow.
- Use poles or take the descent slowly; the rocky steps are hardest on the way down.
- Stay back from the base of the falls, where the rocks are wet year-round.
- Buy your parking tag before driving up; the park doesn't sell them in the Roaring Fork area.
- Pack traction for winter visits; the park says this trail is often icy.
Nearby trails to explore
- Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail
- Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte
- Baskins Creek Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Rainbow Falls is a real climb hiding behind a gentle name. Use TrailMates to find hikers heading to Rainbow Falls in the Smokies. Download the TrailMates app to connect.