Parking
Begin at Goat Haunt Ranger Station. Boat passengers follow the paved path from the dock; the area is reached by watercraft or backcountry trail rather than a drive-up trailhead.
Overview
About Rainbow Falls Trail
Why go
- Waterfall payoff after a short walk
- Deer may be seen at a natural mineral lick
Heads up
- Remote access takes planning
- Border-entry reporting adds a step
Rainbow Falls is a 2-mile out-and-back from Goat Haunt Ranger Station, listed as 1 mile each way. The route follows Waterton Lake Trail for most of the walk, then branches onto Rainbow Falls Trail to the cascade. Budget about an hour on foot; its short distance makes it an easy side trip if you are already at Goat Haunt, but getting to the remote start takes more planning than the hike itself.
Parkwolf’s verdictA waterfall worth the detourMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Glacier map
Full mapElevation4,203–4,331 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Glacier alert
- ClosureTwo Medicine Campground closed for 2026 constructionTwo Medicine Campground is closed throughout 2026 because of construction in the Two Medicine developed area.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Glacier Tour Guide
Your drive to Rainbow Falls Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Glacier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Glacier audio tour- 204 audio storiesacross Glacier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Wolverine, Mountain Goat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 157 trails, 91 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Our first time to glacier and we used the audio portion for Going to the Sun Road. Wonderful information with perfect advice of what to see and do along the road.”
Trail guide
Hiking Rainbow Falls Trail
Along the trailMost of the approach runs through forest. A route description places Cleveland Creek about 0.
Most of the approach runs through forest. A route description places Cleveland Creek about 0.2 mile in and says the walk then follows Waterton River before the falls; it does not say whether the creek crossing is bridged. The mapped line is about 0.96 mile to the falls, close to the park's rounded one-way mile. The current trail detail reports 172 feet of gain and 108 feet of descent on the approach, so expect some short ups and downs.
Look for the lickA natural mineral lick lies along the route, and deer are often seen there.
A natural mineral lick lies along the route, and deer are often seen there. At the end, water tumbles across layered gray rock, with tall conifers and distant mountain peaks in view. Frame the cascade with some of the trees and peaks so the picture keeps the setting as well as the water.
Plan the Goat Haunt accessAll hikes in the area start at Goat Haunt Ranger Station.
All hikes in the area start at Goat Haunt Ranger Station. Boat arrivals walk a paved path from the dock; the area can also be reached by backcountry trails. Hikers going beyond the station must report their U.S. entry under current CBP rules; the short round-trip ferry exception applies only to visitors who do not hike past the station. Arrange reporting and boat or backcountry logistics before leaving Waterton, where there is limited cell service along the lake. The station lists drinking water and a seasonal restroom; food service on the route was not established.
Rules and footingPets are not allowed on Glacier trails.
Pets are not allowed on Glacier trails. The park warns visitors to take care around water, steep drop-offs, and wildlife; give animals at the mineral lick plenty of space. Check current boat and trail-status information before setting out; access and conditions can change.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Glacier
404 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
11 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
1,173 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,000 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
395 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
506 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Glacier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
