Better Safe Than Sorry
I had heard of Rainbow Falls for many years, but had never seen it, other than pictures. Rainbow Falls, not to be mistaken for the overflowing dam at Rainbow Lake, is a 40 foot waterfall that is truly spectacular. It is part of Middle Creek and located downstream of Rainbow Lake. (Check out http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3669986 for a picture)
The day we headed out to hunt for the falls was a very cold
January (it was in the 20s). Despite the
cold weather there were other hikers on the trail. The Signal Point Trail head is very popular
and near impossible to find deserted.
It’d been a while since I had hiked this section, and I was
amazed at the damage that had occurred to the stairs. I would guess it was the result of the nasty
storms we had last year. One section of
the stairs that was missing resulted in a significant drop, which Annabelle
tried to catapult me off of. When we
came back this way Annabelle couldn’t get up this drop off and I had to assist
by grabbing her pack and lifting her.
Once we got past the stairs the trail meandered on below the
bluff line and above the Tennessee River.
The trail comes out to a scenic overlook of the Tennessee Grand Canyon
before cutting back into the mountain.
Once pass the overlook, the trail has some narrow sections with a steep decline
on one side. The trail also runs below
Alexian Village, so there is a little noise pollution.
I could hear the falls before I spotted them. At the second rock field I spotted the falls
down below. There was a rope tied to a
tree, so I grabbed hold of the rope and Annabelle and I started to make our way
down. At the end of the rope I decided
we would stop and turn back for safety reasons, the ground was damp (and a
little slippery) and the terrain was steep. Remember it is ok to turn back and play it safe,
it could just save your life.
Rainbow Falls
Trip Distance 2.0
miles roundtrip
Total Mileage 2.0 miles
Cumberland Trail Mileage 1.0 mile
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