An upper portion of Rainbow Falls (August 2010)

Rainbow Falls is a beautiful set of waterfalls on the outsets of Whistler. As usual, the most difficult part seems to be finding the trail that leads to the falls. The directions I was following listed a different trail name than what I saw, and that definitely confused me. I actually took a picture of the sign just so that I could remember what the trail was named!

Each of the drops, while not extremely tall, have distinct personalities in a beautiful forest setting. I guess the only negative is that it is somewhat difficult to get photographs of some portions of the falls, but even the trees in the area add to the scenery. I really did enjoy this hike.

Directions:

1. Heading south from Whistler, turn right onto Alta Lake Road.
2. Head down Alta Lake Road for 6.8 km to the trailhead. The trailhead is the “Rainbow Trail”, and the sign indicates the total hike would be about 16 km, which is nowhere near how long you’ll hike.
3. From the parking area, take the path on the left (the west side of the river). Take the trail for a little less than a mile.
4. I have to admit I can’t remember if this is the hike where it can suddenly become deceiving. There may be a sign indicating the direction to the falls, but I also have the feeling that there wasn’t. I think the trail splits off at that point, and you should head to the right.

Accessibility: 6/10 (moderate)
Height: ~50′ (?)
Length of Hike: 0.9 miles round-trip

Lower portion of Rainbow Falls (August 2010)

Where in the World is Rainbow Falls?