Cross the sturdy footbridge over the river and you're on your way. Rainbow Falls is Excellent - Jones Gap State Park. Have you thought about taking your kids to Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park but you are unsure if they can handle the hike? You have to travel through the Palmetto Bible Camp to find it. Registering with the park before using these trails is mandatory. Rainbow Falls NC: the hike. Dogs are allowed on the trail as long as they are kept on a leash. Departing Jones Gap, travel approximately .75 miles along the blue blazed Jones Gap Trail, then veer to the right onto the red blazed Rainbow Falls Trail. Jones Gap State Park: Great hike to Rainbow Falls! We apologize for the inconvenience. The trail to the falls follows the boulder-strewn Middle Saluda River, which is in sight most of the way. Jones Gap Trail to Jones Gap Falls, Jones Gap State Park. United States ; South Carolina (SC) Marietta ; Marietta - Things to Do ; Jones Gap State Park; Search. 0.8 miles from the day-use lot, the red-blazed Rainbow Falls Trail exits right. Make sure you register at the sign board before starting your hike. At 100 feet tall, you can hear the water rushing off of the cliff on Cox Camp Creek almost a mile away. The trek to the falls is strenuous but moderately short, and can be doable with kids if you plan ahead. One of my favorite adventures in this area is to camp along the Middle Saluda River, then hike to Rainbow Falls, and continue on to Pretty Place Chapel. Jones Gap State Park, Marietta Picture: Rainbow Falls Trail, Jones Gap State Park - Check out Tripadvisor members' 213 candid photos and videos. Rainbow Falls in particular is an amazing sight to see. Reaching Rainbow Falls is a very strenuous five-mile round-trip hike. This popular trail is jointly maintained by Gorges State Park and the Pisgah Ranger District. The marked trail ends at Rainbow Falls, however hikers can continue upstream about 1/4 mile to Turtleback Falls. Jones Gap State Park . Posted by Jeff on Feb 20, 2020 @ 9:55 am in Hiking, Hiking Blog, Mountain Bridge Wilderness, Rated Easy Hikes, South Carolina, Water Hikes | 0 comments | Last modified: February 20, 2020 . Cold temperatures and ice have forced the seasonal closure of the yellow-blazed, western section of the Rim of the Gap Trail (between junction with trails 15-Frank Coggins, and 21-John Sloan). I have been taking my boys up the strenuous trail to the falls since they were 5 and 6 years old – and you can too! The steep trail features a number of rocky staircases and gains 800 feet in elevation over the next 1.6 miles en route to the waterfall. The Jones Gap Trail is 5.3 miles but we are only going to be hiking about 1 mile of it on this trip. Falls Creek Falls is a waterfall in Jones Gap State Park that features a 50-foot cascade that breaks over several stages. The trail to Jones Gap Falls is very pleasant as it follows the river the majority of the hike. You will find campsites off this trail which are set along the water and have fire pits. Jones Gap State Park: Rainbow Falls - See 116 traveler reviews, 175 candid photos, and great deals for Marietta, SC, at Tripadvisor. Several pools in the river provide wading opportunities and salamander hunts. Accessing Rainbow Falls via the trail above requires a paid admittance to Jones Gap State Park. Once the trail leaves Gorges State Park and enters the National Forest, camping is allowed anywhere along the trail. Although the out-and-back Jones Gap Trail is a moderately difficult trail, it delves into some of the Upstate’s most scenic country. To get to Rainbow falls you will initially follow the blue blazed Jones Gap Trail for about 3/4's of a mile. The hike from the parking lot to Jones Gap Falls is not as steep, and you'll get to enjoy the river along the way. Jones Gap also provides superb primitive camping sites along the rocky and scenic Middle Saluda River. The trailhead is not in the main part of the park. At about the three-quarter-mile mark, you'll hit the junction to the Rainbow Falls Trail. J ones Gap State Park sits on the Blue Ridge Escarpment in upstate South Carolina very near the state line with its neighbor to the north. The falls area is more quiet than Rainbow Falls when it comes to people but is unique in its own way. Picture a glistening ribbon of water plunging 80-100 feet over a granite ledge into a pool below which beckons rock-hopping, wading, and endless photo ops. Is this your business? - See 115 traveler reviews, 175 candid photos, and great deals for Marietta, SC, at Tripadvisor. Make no mistake that this is a strenuous hike. One of my favorite South Carolina Waterfall Hikes is the Rainbow Falls Trail in Jones Gap State Park. 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