rainbow falls // #adk50falls challenge // ausable chasm, new york

Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week!

Today I am excited to share with y'all a bit more about the #ADK50falls challenge and specifically about Rainbow Falls, a waterfall that we recently visited in the early spring just as winter was ending.

If you are doing the challenge and visiting from outside the area, and wanting to see a few of the same falls in the same area then I would highly suggest planning to see both Rainbow falls and Anderson Falls (you can read about it HERE) at the same time as they were only about 5 miles apart. If you aren't familiar with the #ADK50falls challenge, you can read about the places that I have been going as part of the challenge HERE (I started in 2019)!

Simply put there are 50 waterfalls that you hike and visit (5 require proof with photo that you were there) to complete the challenge. For those of you who love hiking and being outdoors this can show you unique parts of the Adirondacks that you may have never discovered. I definitely have been feeling that with the waterfalls that we have visited and explored the last several weeks and look forward to sharing more! Recently the challenge has added different easier (and more difficult) waterfalls to be more inclusive to those who may not have been able to receive a patch before.

If you would like to know just basic facts about the falls please just scroll down to the bottom of the post where I will be sharing basic information to help those who want to know more specifics about each of the falls in the challenge.

Rainbow Falls, located in Ausable Chasm, New York, is a beautiful 90+ foot waterfall located in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains that is made up of several different segmented falls. Depending on the time of year, the falls are incredibly beautiful and are visible from the road and the bridge with parking provided.

After parking, we went and walked across the bridge to see the falls. I mentioned above that it depends on the time of the year how vast the falls are. This is because the falls are controlled by regulation by the hydro facility.

I have read that some people feel it is a disappointment to arrive and now see the falls flowing as much. What a lot of visitors are not aware of is that you can always contact Ausable Chasm or look on the website to read about the status of the falls.

To be honest I have seen these falls so many times since I was a young child and am still always amazed at their beauty. I had never been there in the late winter/early spring before so it was neat to see them so early in the season.

Because the area was closed for the season we were also able to drive around and park and do a short walk from the back and see additional spaces we hadn't seen prior to that time.

Walking around the "back" of the falls was truly a different experience and one that I would recommend.

If you have the opportunity it just shows a bit of a different angle and allows you to take a small trail through the woods.

If you are interested in reading more about each of the waterfalls - I recommend reading Adirondack Fifty Falls (click HERE to purchase) which lays out all of the falls in a concise and easy manner. It also groups the falls in the challenge by area so that you do not have to do that research!

When I was extremely sick I used to grieve not being able to be outside in nature as much as I wanted to be and if this is where you are at due to health reasons I hope that the information I provide about each of the falls in this challenge will encourage you to explore as you are able.

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......RAINBOW FALLS INFORMATION......

LOCATION:

Ausable Chasm

(approx. 35 minutes south of Plattsburgh // 50 minutes northeast of Lake Placid)

TYPE OF FALLS:

90+ foot falls + additional drops and ledges

KEY LANDMARKS:

Ausable Chasm which also offers multiple outdoor adventure experiences

COST:

Free (to see the waterfalls from the bridge)

*Ausable Chasm offers multiple different hikes, rafting, outdoor adventures, etc.and these all have varying costs*

PARKING:

Roadside parking where you can park and walk across the bridge to see the falls

CROWDED?:

Yes and No. When we went (in the early spring/late winter) there was absolutely noone there, but during the summer it can get incredibly crowded with visitors and tours so you will want to plan accordingly.

DISTANCE TO FALLS FROM PARKING AREA:

It is a very short walk to the bridge.

DISABILITY FRIENDY?:

Absolutely Yes (to see the falls from the bridge). If you want to take a hike that is easy it is not paved, but there is a hike that goes down to the bottom and allows you to see the falls with benches for stops along the way. To get to the bottom and back up may be difficult depending on your condition.

Thank you so much for reading today friends! Please let me know if you have any questions about the challenge or Rainbow Falls! I am happy to answer and can't wait to hear about your waterfall adventures! And again, if you would like to read about other #adk50falls that I have written about on the blog click HERE or click on the links below: