An 80-foot waterfall on LeConte Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, often cited as the tallest single-drop waterfall in the park. It is named for the rainbow that can appear in its mist on sunny afternoons.
Its 80 ft drop is taller than about 63% of the 775 waterfalls we track.
Rainbow Falls sits on LeConte Creek. It lies in Sevier, Tennessee. The site is on public land managed by National Park Service / Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This is a moderate hike waterfall: a longer day hike, roughly one to several miles each way. Reaching it takes a moderate walk, so budget time and pack water before you set out. The walk to the main viewpoint runs about 5.4 miles round trip. The nearest town is Gatlinburg.
When to go: year-round. Flow usually peaks after snowmelt and heavy rain and tapers through late summer — a quick look at recent streamflow and the managing agency's conditions page can save a wasted trip.
