Name: Rainbow Falls
Rating: 2

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Waterfalls

Rainbow Falls

Waterfalls

Rainbow Falls

Recommended by 11 hikers

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Ansel Adams Wilderness

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Location: Madera County, California, United States

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Best Hikes to Rainbow Falls

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1. Rainbow Falls — Mammoth Lakes

3.85km

01:06

90m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.9

(14)

198

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2. Devils Postpile – Rainbow Falls loop from Old Mammoth

7.97km

02:15

170m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.6

(5)

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3. Middle Fork San Joaquin River – Rainbow Falls loop from Old Mammoth

15.0km

04:10

270m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

🕊️ 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓

May 6, 2016

Rainbow Falls is the highest waterfall on the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River. Plunging 101-feet down to the turbulent water below, the falls are named for the rainbows that appear in its mist throughout sunny summer days.

It is located in Devils Postpile National Monument near Mammoth Mountain. The national monument protects Devil's Postpile, an unusual rock formation of columnar basalt. Devils Postpile National Monument encompasses 798 acres. In addition, the John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest Trail merge into one trail as they pass through the monument. Excluding a small developed area containing the monument headquarters, visitor center and a campground; the National Monument lies within the borders of the Ansel Adams Wilderness.

About 75,000 years ago, lava erupted from a vent just east of the present-day Falls. The eruption occurred in two stages. The first pulse of lava flowed about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) westward and pooled in the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin drainage. The second pulse of lava insulated the first, allowing it to cool slowly and to fracture vertically. The layer above cooled under different conditions and fractured horizontally. Geologists describe these rocks as platy rhyodacite and are visible in the cliffs that surround Rainbow Falls.

As water rushes over the cliff, it erodes the vertically fractured rhyodacite more easily. A small cavern begins to form at the base of the Falls, and the overlying rock loses its support and collapses. This process, known as undercutting, causes the waterfall to recede slowly upstream. To date Rainbow Falls has retreated about 500 feet (150 m) due to undercutting.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Falls_%28California%29
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Postpile_National_Monument
nps.gov/depo/planyourvisit/nearbyattractions.htm

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Elevation 2,250 m

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Tuesday 21 October

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Max wind speed: 5.0 km/h

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Location: Madera County, California, United States

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Rainbow Falls

1. Rainbow Falls — Mammoth Lakes

2. Devils Postpile – Rainbow Falls loop from Old Mammoth

3. Middle Fork San Joaquin River – Rainbow Falls loop from Old Mammoth

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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