Are there fees or permits required for Rainbow Falls?

No, there are no fees required to visit Rainbow Falls.

Is swimming allowed at Rainbow Falls?

No, swimming is not allowed at Rainbow Falls.

Nearby gauge (Horse Creek) · 43 ft³/s · Much lower than usual

Rainbow Falls

Q: Are dogs allowed at Rainbow Falls?

No, dogs are not allowed at Rainbow Falls.

Tennessee

By Armen Suny · Last verified Oct 2026

LiDAR & 3D terrain

Also For 31 other waterfalls also named Rainbow Falls, see below

Dry Creek Wildlife Management Area SCA · PVT

Before you go

Rainbow Falls is on privately owned land with restricted public access, and no public trail is documented. Do not enter without the landowner's permission.

Photo Credits (5)

Frank Kehren CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 · Flickr

Tim Lumley CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 · Flickr

praline3001 CC BY-NC 2.0 · Flickr

Don Ski CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 · Flickr

Dave Edens CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 · Flickr

About Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is a USGS-named waterfall in Hardin County, Tennessee, east of Pickwick Lake near Hitchcock Lane, in the area of Counce. It is not the 80-foot Rainbow Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Federal protected-area records list the land as privately owned within the Dry Creek Wildlife Management Area with restricted public access, and we found no public trail, parking area or published height.

The Setting

Rainbow Falls sits at 518 feet within Dry Creek Wildlife Management Area, in the foothills of Tennessee.

Trail & Hike Details

Frequently Asked Questions

🐶 Are Dogs Allowed at Rainbow Falls?

❌ Dogs are not allowed

Are There Any Fees or Permits Required?

🆖 No fees required

🏊 Is There Swimming at Rainbow Falls?

❌ Swimming is not allowed

When to Visit

spring summer fall

Seasonal Access

The best time to visit is Spring, Summer, and Fall. Winter access may be limited.

Current Water Conditions

Updated about 2 hours ago Barely Flowing

These readings come from the USGS gauge on Horse Creek, 11.2 miles away, not on Rainbow Falls's own stream. Use them as a sign of whether the area is running wet or dry.

43 ft³/s

Current discharge — how much water is flowing

Much lower than usual for this time of year

Very Low Low Normal High Very High

49 62 84 207

Based on 13 years of record

0.56 ft

Water depth at gauge

7-Day Discharge Trend

What does this mean for your visit?

Flow is well below normal for this time of year, so the waterfall may be a trickle.

About This Gauge

This gauge is on a nearby waterway and may not reflect exact conditions at the falls.

HORSE CREEK NEAR SAVANNAH, TN (TVA)

USGS 03593800

11.2 miles from waterfall

Drainage: 104 sq mi

Altitude: 397 ft

7-Day Flow Outlook

Based on the USGS gauge HORSE CREEK NEAR SAVANNAH, TN (TVA) (18 km away).

Moderate confidence

Barely Flowing right now

43 cfs

→ Holding steady

Today

Barely Flowing

43 cfs

5/10

Tomorrow

Barely Flowing

44 cfs

5/10

Tue

Barely Flowing

43 cfs

5/10

Wed

Barely Flowing

43 cfs

5/10

Thu

Barely Flowing

43 cfs

5/10

Fri

Barely Flowing

45 cfs

5/10

Sat

Barely Flowing

46 cfs

5/10

Best window: Today — barely flowing flow, sunny (trip score 5/10).

Best time of year: this gauge typically runs highest from mid February to late April, peaking in March.

How we calculate this

This is a transparent outlook, not a precise forecast. We take the waterfall's current flow strength (how it ranks against its historical normal for today, from the nearest USGS stream gauge), carry that ranking forward along the gauge's seasonal curve, and nudge it for forecast rain. Confidence is highest for the next day or two and falls further out. Always check official conditions and your own judgment before visiting — high flows can be dangerous.

Know when to go.

Get a free email alert when waterfalls near Counce hit peak flow. We only send when conditions are worth the trip — no weekly newsletters, no spam.

Is Rainbow Falls Frozen?

Updated about 17 hours ago

Not frozen highs above freezing lately

Rainbow Falls is not frozen right now; highs have been above freezing. Yesterday ran 50°F to 35°F.

Days below freezing: 0 of the last 14
Current cold streak: 0 days
Freezing days ahead: 0 of the next 7
Flow: 42 ft³/s

Winter safety. Frozen falls are the one waterfall trip with a documented injury pattern: falling ice, and ice-glazed rock and trail. Wear microspikes, keep well back from the base and from overhangs, and never walk out on ice over moving water.

Estimate from Open-Meteo daily temperatures at the falls, the LiDAR-measured facing direction, and the nearest stream gauge. It is a likelihood, not a report from the trail.

Weather Forecast

The Terrain, Seen by LiDAR

Aircraft-mounted lasers measured this ground to within inches. Trees and buildings are digitally stripped away, leaving the bare shape of the land the water has carved.

The ground through the falls loses about 121 feet in steep steps rather than one leap. The ground at the falls is roughly 506 feet above sea level.

Steep ground runs through the entire stretch: about 128 feet of descent in the 500 feet above the pin and 67 feet in the 500 feet below it. Facing southwest, the falls sit in full sun for most of the day, best photographed early or late.

Aerial photo of the same ground around Rainbow Falls near Counce, Tennessee, for comparison with the lidar view

LiDAR bare-earth terrain around Rainbow Falls near Counce, Tennessee, showing about 121 feet of drop, a steep tiered drop, facing southwest

Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag to compare. The dot marks the waterfall. The frame is about a mile across.

Ground elevation: 506 feet; Measured by 1-meter lidar
Drop at the falls: About 121 feet; Change in ground height within ~250 feet of the falls
Faces: Southwest; Sunlit most of the day. Go early or late for softer light.