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.
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]
History
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]
Geology
The falls are located on the Chehalis River and the waters pour over basalt rock.[2]
Activities and amenities
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]
References
- ^ a b "Rainbow Falls State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b c d The Chronicle staff (October 5, 2023). "Six fun facts everyone should know about Rainbow Falls State Park". The Chronicle. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Rainbow Falls State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Environmental Assessment for Rainbow Falls State Park Entrance Project, Lewis County, Washington". Federal Emergency Management Agency. April 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ "Rainbow Falls State Park back open today". The Chronicle. Centralia, Wash. May 23, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
- ^ "Willapa Hills State Park Trail". parks.state.wa.us. Washington State Parks.
- ^ Brown, Alex (April 17, 2018). "Swollen Chehalis Doesn't Impede River Run Revelry". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ Collucci, Paula (April 13, 2009). "Pe Ell River Runners Hit the Rapids". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
External links
- Rainbow Falls State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- Rainbow Falls State Park Map Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
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