Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls drops the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River about 100 feet, a short walk from Devils Postpile National Monument, and it holds an unusually high 4.9-star rating from 187 visitors. The name comes from the mist at the base, which catches sunlight into a rainbow on clear afternoons.

The Walk In

Trailheads vary, so reported distances do too: some visitors describe a roughly 1.5-mile walk one-way from the nearest parking area, while others hiked closer to a 5-mile round trip starting from Devils Postpile itself. Either way, the route is consistently called an easy-to-moderate walk through the forest, with modest elevation change before the trail opens up at the falls overlook.

Timing the Rainbow

Visitors agree the color effect is best on sunny days in early-to-mid afternoon, once the sun angle lines up with the spray — several mention arriving too early and missing it entirely. Reds Meadow Road, which serves this area, is seasonal and closed by snow outside the summer months, so plan a visit for warmer weather.

At the Base

Stairs lead down from the overlook to the pool at the bottom, where visitors wade and cool off in the falls' spray. The water is snowmelt-fed and currents and footing near the base can be unpredictable, so treat the pool with the same caution as any Sierra waterfall swimming hole.