Coordinates: 46°37′43″N 123°13′52″W / 46.62861°N 123.23111°W / 46.62861; -123.23111

Rainbow Falls State Park

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Rainbow Falls State Park
Falls on the Chehalis River
Map showing the location of Rainbow Falls State Park
Map showing the location of Rainbow Falls State Park
Location in the state of Washington
Map showing the location of Rainbow Falls State Park
Map showing the location of Rainbow Falls State Park
Rainbow Falls State Park (the United States)
LocationLewis, Washington, United States
Coordinates46°37′43″N 123°13′52″W / 46.62861°N 123.23111°W / 46.62861; -123.23111[1]
Area129 acres (52 ha)
Elevation331 ft (101 m)[1]
Established1935
OperatorWashington State Parks and Recreation Commission
WebsiteRainbow Falls State Park

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, its log structures, and a popular footbridge over the falls, in 1935.[4] The wooden bridge was restored in 2006 and additional improvements, including the construction of a kitchen and new bathroom facilities, were also undertaken that year.[5]

Due to the park's location on the Chehalis River, the site has experienced several floods and subsequent damages. The footbridge was nearly destroyed during a buildup of a log jam during the 1972 Lewis County Flood; the height of the log jam exceeded the top of the bridge.[6] In 2007, the park suffered severe flooding which destroyed the footbridge, other bridges along the Willapa Hills Trail,[3] as well as the park's main entrance.[7] Park-goers began using an alternate entrance to the park in May 2008.[8]

Geology

The falls are located on the Chehalis River and the waters pour over basalt rock.[2]

Ecology

Rainbow Falls State Park contains a variety of old growth trees, including Douglas fir, hemlock, and western red cedar. Big leaf maples and red alder also grow on the grounds but in smaller quantities.[4]

Activities and amenities

The 129-acre (52 ha) park offers camping, fishing, and swimming, and contains 3.0 miles (4.8 km) of hiking trails.[2][3] The looping trails are flat and are not wheelchair accessible.[4] Visitors to the park can access the 56-mile Willapa Hills Trail via a spur trail; the spur is under the oversight of Rainbow Falls State Park.[5][9]

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.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Rainbow Falls State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ a b c "Rainbow Falls State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Rose, Buddy (February 18, 2005). "Highway hideaway". The Chronicle. p. 15. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Rose, Buddy (February 17, 2006). "Upgrades to give boost to Rainbow Falls park". The Chronicle. p. 21. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Hoxit, Eric (January 21, 1972). "Record Flooding Inundates Western Lewis County". The Daily Chronicle. p. 1. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  7. ^ "Environmental Assessment for Rainbow Falls State Park Entrance Project, Lewis County, Washington". Federal Emergency Management Agency. April 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  8. ^ "Rainbow Falls State Park back open today". The Chronicle. Centralia, Wash. May 23, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  9. ^ "Willapa Hills State Park Trail". parks.state.wa.us. Washington State Parks.
  10. ^ Brown, Alex (April 17, 2018). "Swollen Chehalis Doesn't Impede River Run Revelry". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  11. ^ Collucci, Paula (April 13, 2009). "Pe Ell River Runners Hit the Rapids". The Chronicle. Retrieved December 31, 2021.

External links

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/Rainbow_Falls_State_Park"