The Rainbow Falls Trail                                                                 Whistler Hiking

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The beautiful and accessible Rainbow Falls are located just a short, half kilometre from the Rainbow Lake trailhead.  The trailhead is a short 15 minute drive from Whistler Village.  There is parking at Rainbow Park as well as a few spots at the Rainbow Lake trailhead.  At the trailhead you will see an excellent map-board indicating the trails in front of you.  There are no signs to Rainbow Falls and you will just see signs for Rainbow Lake and Madely Lake.  To find Rainbow Falls you just follow the Rainbow Lake trail from the trailhead for about a half kilometre until you reach the water treatment building (Rainbow Lake is Whistler's water source).  Just before the building the trail forks.

Height: 42 metres / 137 feet

Width: 11 metres / 36 feet

In the winter there is quite a lot of snow to deal with, however this is a popular trail and you will likely find the snowy trail padded down from snowshoes and walkable without snowshoes even in the depths of winter.

Hiking and Trailhead Directions for Rainbow Falls:

Directions to trailhead: Zero your odometer at Village Gate Boulevard(in Whistler Village), drive north on Highway 99.  At 3.8km turn left onto Alpine Way, then at the next stop sign turn left onto Rainbow Drive.  Continue straight until at 6.8km you will see the trailhead on your right.

Hike up the Rainbow Lake trail for about a half kilometre, at the water treatment building the trail forks and there is a direction sign (the one pictured here).

This sign does not indicate where the falls are.  To Rainbow Falls follow the trail that continues straight, not the trail leading to Rainbow Lake.  You will hear the falls about a minute along this trail.

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Rainbow Lake Trailhead: (50.13010893457893, -122.98572331666946)

Other Waterfalls Close to Whistler:

Alexander Falls: (25 minute drive south of Whistler): Drive right to falls

Brandywine Falls: (20 minute drive south of Whistler): Easy, flat trail, 1k hike to falls

Nairn Falls: (20 minute drive north of Whistler): Easy, flat trail, 1.2k easy hike to falls

Shannon Falls: (45 minute drive south of Whistler): Steep but short trail, 0.3k hike to falls

Wedgemount Falls: (10 minute drive north of Whistler): Steep and very difficult trail, 5k hike to falls viewpoint

Whistler Hiking - List of the Best Trails >>