Rainbow Falls, Gorges State Park, NC

I'm back with more waterfalls and hiking adventures!  One of the fun things about taking time to post about all of the spots we hit on our recent getaway is that it means I can savor the experience just a little bit longer.  We don't get out of town often, so it is nice to truly enjoy it when we do!

Today I've got the other half of our trip to Gorges State Park to share with you all.  After hitting the quick hike to Bearwallow Falls when we first stopped at the park, we drove around to the next trailhead to make a longer hike to check out Rainbow Falls.  The shorter hikes on our ride up to Asheville were fun, but I was looking forward to stretching my legs out a bit more for this 3.5-mile or so roundtrip hike!

Upon getting to the parking lot for the Rainbow Falls Trail, you could definitely tell it was more popular than Bearwallow.  I'm sure from my cover photo you can already tell why.  Despite looking pretty busy, once we got on the trail we had plenty of peace and quiet as we made our way through the beautiful woods, taking our time to take it all in.  This trail is considered moderate--definitely some inclines here and there, but nothing too strenuous in my opinion.

Once again, the trail was well-marked and plenty wide enough to allow for passing.  It is interesting that although the trail starts in Gorges, about halfway to Rainbow Falls you pass into the Nantahala National Forest.  There are signs letting you know when you've passed over.  Whichever end of the trail you are on, it is a beautiful hike with the trees all around and glimpses of the water all throughout.  You do have to cross a few streams along the way, but there were rocks to use so we didn't have to get our shoes wet.  As with most trails there are some areas of mud and rocks, so you just have to be aware so you don't trip or slip!

The 1.5-mile hike in is worth the effort when you get to catch the first glimpses of the falls!  Apparently when the sun hits at the right angle you can see rainbows coming off the water, but we must have come at the wrong time of day for that.  Regardless, it is an impressive sight to take in.

The view from above is fantastic, but you can continue on the trail to follow it around to a lower platform before making it all the way to the base.  There were actually quite a few people swimming in the pool at the bottom when we first got there.

Being able to get this close to the falls was amazing.  You can feel the power of the water as it rushes down over the rocks.  I can see why they have signs all over telling you not to get too close at the top of the falls as a tumble down these could be deadly.

We took a ton of photos from all different angles, and then grabbed a free rock to enjoy the view.  You definitely have to be cautious climbing around the rocks at the base, but it's easy enough to find a good spot to rest after the hike in.  I think we timed it pretty well in that it was fairly quiet while we were there.

After taking our time at Rainbow Falls, we decided to continue on the trail to see Turtleback Falls, as well.  It was a little confusing at first to find where the trail continued after coming back up from the base of the falls, but luckily @dksart was paying attention and remembered it veered off higher up near our initial overlook of Rainbow Falls.

Just a little further along the trail we came upon Turtleback Falls.  Not quite as impressive as the previous spot, but it looked like a blast if you came prepared with a swimsuit.  We were not, so we took just a few minutes to watch as people slid down the rocks and jumped into the pool at the base of this smaller set of falls.

Definitely a bit more crowded.  From here you can continue on to one more set of falls, but apparently they are technically on private property so the guides I had read said it was debatable if it was worth the extra bit of hiking.  We turned back around to get back to the trailhead and continue on to our ultimate destination of Asheville.  We did make a few more stops along the way to check out some side trails.

When you're already out on the trails, might as well see everything you can!  This spot was right down off the main trail, so it wasn't hard to find.  Some more nice views and calming water.

All in all, I think we spent just shy of two and a half hours on this trail.  By the time we got back to the car, we were definitely ready to make the final drive to Asheville so we could clean up and get some food to refuel!  I logged over 18,000 steps for the day with all of the hiking we got in.

Very much worth a visit to Gorges State Park.  I would happily go again to explore even more or even just hit these same trails again.  Two thumbs way up. ;)

Up next--the Blue Ridge Parkway!

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