Rainbow Falls
About
Rainbow Falls is a waterfall in Glacier National Park in northwest Montana, about 21 miles from the town of Babb. It sits at roughly 4,200 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical July and August highs reach about 81 to 82°F with lows near 40°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at Polebridge. That station sits several hundred feet lower than the falls, so temperatures at the falls run a little cooler. The Rainbow Falls Trail starts just 0.3 miles away, and the Goat Haunt Overlook Trail is about 0.6 miles off. Farther out, the Porcupine Lookout Trail and the North Boundary Trail are both within about 3 miles.
Waterfall Facts
Elevation
4,238 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Rainbow Falls
Montana
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 63–82°F and lows of 32–40°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Polebridge, MT weather station, 22 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan31° high10° low
- Feb35° high8° low
- Mar44° high16° low
- Apr54° high24° low
- May63° high32° low
- Jun70° high39° low
- Jul81° high40° low
- Aug82° high38° low
- Sep70° high32° low
- Oct54° high26° low
- Nov39° high19° low
- Dec31° high10° low
Where it is
- Glacier National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Babb, Montana · 21 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Glacier National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Going-to-the-Sun Road is Open for 2026 Season
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
Rainbow Falls TrailHikingPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.3 mi- Goat Haunt Overlook TrailHikingPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.6 mi
Porcupine Lookout TrailHikingPhoto: -ted, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)2.8 mi- North Boundary TrailHikingPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3.2 mi
- Stoney Indian Pass TrailHiking3.6 mi
- Kootenai Cabin TrailHiking4.5 mi
- Cleveland South Ridge RouteHiking4.9 mi
Mokowanis Lake TrailHikingPhoto: Jeff P from Berkeley, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)5.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Rainbow Falls open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Glacier National Park. It doesn't name Rainbow Falls, so check the source for the area it covers.
Going-to-the-Sun Road Seasonal Closure
Park closure covering Glacier National Park · NPS · Glacier National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Glacier National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Rainbow Falls
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
31° / 10°
Feb
35° / 8°
Mar
44° / 16°
Apr
54° / 24°
May
63° / 32°
Jun
70° / 39°
Jul
81° / 40°
Aug
82° / 38°
Sep
70° / 32°
Oct
54° / 26°
Nov
39° / 19°
Dec
31° / 10°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Polebridge, MT, 21.7 mi away at 3,520 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
