Rainbow Falls (Manitou Springs)

Rainbow Falls is a 40-foot waterfall on Fountain Creek in El Paso County, Colorado.  The waterfall is located in the Rainbow Falls Historic Site, an El Paso County Park.

Hike Length: 0.2 miles
Estimated Time: < 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Rainbow Falls Historic Site
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfalls are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 38.86813,-104.92426
Waterfall GPS: 38.87025,-104.92601

Directions:

From Colorado Springs, head west on US-24 for about 5 miles to Manitou Springs.  Turn left onto Serpentine Drive, immediately across from Cave of the Winds.  Go 0.3 miles to a hairpin turn and turn right into the small parking area.  Parking is limited.

Map:

Hike Description:

Follow the short, paved walkway upstream along Fountain Creek, passing some nice cascades on the way.

The trail ends after just over 0.1 miles at near the base of Rainbow Falls, which is right under Highway 24.

Here's a video of the falls.

Blog Entries:

10-Apr-2021: Green Mountain Falls Waterfalls

External Links:

El Paso County Parks website: https://communityservices.elpasoco.com/parks-and-recreation/rainbow-falls-historic-site/