Rainbow Falls State Park is a public recreation area on the Chehalis River. It is situated off Washington State Route 6 and is approximately 1.0-mile (1.6 km) east of the town of Dryad, Washington.
Rainbow Falls State Park | |
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Location in the state of Washington Rainbow Falls State Park (the United States) | |
Location | Lewis, Washington, United States |
Coordinates | 46°37′43″N 123°13′52″W / 46.62861°N 123.23111°W[1] |
Area | 129 acres (52 ha) |
Elevation | 331 ft (101 m)[1] |
Established | 1935 |
Operator | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission |
Website | Rainbow Falls State Park |
The state park's 129 acres (52 ha) feature 3,900 feet (1,200 m) of shoreline, the waterfall for which the park is named, and some of the last standing old-growth trees in the Chehalis Valley.[2][3]
Rainbow Falls was used by the Upper Chehalis people as a fishing site for lampreys.[2] The Civilian Conservation Corps built the park and its log structures in 1935. In 2007, the park suffered severe flooding which destroyed bridges along the Willapa Hills Trail[3] as well as the park's main entrance.[4] Park-goers began using an alternate entrance to the park in May 2008.[5]
The falls are located on the Chehalis River and the waters pour over basalt rock.[2]
The park offers camping, fishing, and swimming, and contains 3.0 miles (4.8 km) of hiking trails.[2][3] Visitors to the park can access the 56-mile Willapa Hills Trail via a spur trail.[6]
The annual Pe Ell River Run ends at the park. Held since 1978, the event consists of entrants buying or building water crafts and floating down the Chehalis River from Pe Ell. Riders can float over the waterfall that still remains in the park despite severe flooding damage due to the Great Coastal Gale of 2007.[7][8]