Rainbow Falls & Separation Lake
- Easy (to Rainbow Falls viewpoint)
- 1.8 miles round trip
- 200 feet elevation gain
- Open late April to mid-November
- Moderate (to Separation Creek)
- 8.2 miles round trip
- 950 feet elevation loss
- Use: hikers, horses
- Difficult (to Separation Lake)
- 13.4 miles round trip
- 1250 feet elevation loss
Ice Age glaciers once carved long canyons down from the Three Sisters to the lowlands of the west. Now these canyons have filled with old-growth forests, whitewater rivers, and waterfalls. Sample the scenery with an easy walk to a cliff-edge viewpoint of Rainbow Falls. For a longer hike, take the uncrowded Separation Creek Trail down to the growling whitewater—or to Separation Lake.
Start by driving McKenzie Highway 126 …
This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Central Oregon Cascades.