While hikers can travel Rainbow Falls Trail for its full 6.7 miles to Mount Le Conte, most opt for the 5.6-mile out-and-back hike to its namesake waterfall. Rainbow Falls cascades 80 feet, making it ...

While many national and state parks in Western North Carolina remain closed after Helene's destruction, Gorges State Park is open for visitors.

The popular Rainbow and Turtleback falls are also nearby. Though the trailhead is on state park land, hikers pass onto U.S. Forest Service property during the strenuous 1.5 miles one way to ...