Rainbow Falls
Washington · 157-foot drop · Mount Baker Wilderness · Last verified 2026-05-15
Flow at Rainbow Falls is 230 cfs today, around its seasonal average.
Expect dry conditions today — don't drive out for this one. Flow is at 220 cfs (bottom 3% of the last 30 days, vs. 299.8 cfs average). The 7-day NOAA forecast shows no significant rain.
Right now
Streamflow
230 cfs
BAKER RIVER AB BLUM · 1h ago
Overnight
52°F
Mostly Cloudy
Thursday
60°F
Mostly Sunny
Today's daylight
Sunrise 6:35 AM · Sunset 7:31 PM · 12h 56m
Snapshot built 8m ago. Sources: USGS · NWS SEW.
No verified photo yet
Rainbow Falls is a waterfall in Whatcom County, Washington. It drops roughly 157 feet. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Rainbow Falls sits in Whatcom County, Washington. The falls are inside Mount Baker Wilderness. The base sits at roughly 1,965 feet of elevation. Drive time is about 20 minutes from Glacier. A trail — National Forest Development Road 1130 — runs within 230 meters of the marked location. No public parking is recorded within 2 km, so a longer approach is likely. It draws modest visitor attention — busier weekends, quiet weekdays. Source records come from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Entry is free. Dogs on leash are welcome on the access trail.
Is the water flowing right now?
Most waterfall sites don't tell you this. The waterfall itself is almost never gauged, but a USGS streamgage in the same watershed can tell you whether snowmelt has started, peaked, or run dry.
USGS gage 12190400 · 6 mi away
BAKER RIVER AB BLUM CREEK NEAR CONCRETE, WA
View live discharge data →
30-day streamflow
Below 30-day average↻ Same date last year: 250 cfs · 88% of last year — similar
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Falls (this page) | — | 157 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Upper Morovitz Falls | 1 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Lower Morovitz Falls | 1 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Sulphide Creek Falls | 5 mi | 3,937 ft | no trail | N | $30 |
| Mazama Falls | 6 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Bacon Lake Falls | 10 mi | 446 ft | — | N | — |
Related waterfalls
Similar height (~157 ft)
- Ranch Falls157 ft
- Wy'east Falls157 ft
- Fall Creek Falls160 ft
- Panther Creek Falls154 ft
- Big Creek Falls151 ft
Questions visitors ask about Rainbow Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
How tall is Rainbow Falls?
Rainbow Falls is 157 feet (48 m) tall. Height is sourced from OSM.
Is Rainbow Falls in a national or state park?
Yes — Rainbow Falls is inside Mount Baker Wilderness. We inferred this from OpenStreetMap protected-area polygons; if you find we got the boundary wrong, please report it. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.
Can I bring my dog to Rainbow Falls?
Yes — dogs are allowed (Mount Baker Wilderness permits leashed dogs in most areas). Inferred from park type; check the official site for trail-specific restrictions. Always leash and pack out waste.
Is there a fee to visit Rainbow Falls?
No entrance fee. Mount Baker Wilderness is free to access. Some trailheads may charge a parking fee separately.
How far is Rainbow Falls from a major city?
Rainbow Falls is 14 miles from Glacier (about 20 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in Washington
Where it is
48.7709, -121.6769
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
Been there?
Marina and Theo verify pages one road trip at a time. If you've been to Rainbow Falls recently, your local knowledge improves the page for everyone. Pick the kind of contribution that fits — every email lands in our inbox and gets read (and credited when we publish).
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