Rainbow Falls State Park
Stroll through groves of Old-growth above the Chehalis River
Quick Facts:
Location: Chehalis River Valley Land Agency: Washington State Parks Roundtrip: up to 3.0 miles Elevation gain: 300 feet Contact: Rainbow Falls State Park Notes: Discover Pass required; dogs must be leashed
Access: From Chehalis (exit 77 on I-5) follow SR 6 west for 16 miles to Rainbow Falls State Park. Trailhead is located on south side of highway across from former park access road.
Good to Know: Dog-friendly, kid-friendly, old-growth, snowfree winter hike, car camping
Lightly visited Rainbow Falls State Park offers hikers an opportunity to explore one of the quieter corners of Washington State. Tucked in the Willapa Hills in the southwestern corner of the state, this little 129-acre state park contains groves of ancient trees along and above the Chehalis River. And a pretty cascade too. It’s sedate most of the year, but quite captivating during winter and early spring rains.
A former community park, Rainbow Falls was developed as a state park in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corp. Many of the simple but eloquent structures built by this Depression-era agency still grace the park’s grounds. The park was once surrounded by thousands of acres of old-growth forest. But now, the only ancient trees left standing in the area are within the park.
Most visitors to Rainbow Falls come for the park’s namesake. But its remnant old-growth forest is the real attraction and it’s laced with three miles of nice, quiet trails. Wander through a lush grove of big cedars, hemlock, Douglas-fir, and the occasional Sitka spruce. Beneath the lofty canopy are alders draped in moss and a forest floor carpeted in oxalis. It’s a fairy tale forest where chickarees and chickadees frolic and flit like gregarious elves in a magical kingdom.
From the trailhead you can set out in a several directions and blaze your own course. Trails are signed and you really can’t get lost; they all loop back to the trailhead. The Oxalis Loop passes by some of the larger trees in the park, while the Woodpecker Trail descends into a small lush ravine complete with a babbling brook. Hike these trails as a journey—not towards a destination—and enjoy this special tract of wild country remaining in the Chehalis River Valley.
For more detailed information on this trail and many others in southwestern Washington, check out my best-selling and well trusted Day Hiking Olympic Peninsula 2nd edition (Mountaineers Books).
