Rainbow Falls
About
Rainbow Falls is a 131-acre state park in Washington, about 5 miles from the town of Pe Ell. It is managed by State Park and Recreation, and one campground sits inside the park boundaries, making it a compact base for a night or two in the area. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Centralia show July and August highs around 78°F with only about five wet days each month, while winter months bring highs in the mid-40s and rain on roughly 20 days. Several short trails start right near the park, including Deer Trail, Oxalis Loop Trail and Hemlock Trail, all within a quarter mile. For paddling, Bunker Creek lies about 4 miles away and the Chehalis River about 5 miles away.
Park size
131 acres
Inside this park
Campgrounds
Location
Rainbow Falls
Washington
Data source: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (Protected Areas Database, public domain)
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 61–78°F and lows of 43–53°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Centralia, WA weather station, 15 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan46° high34° low
- Feb50° high34° low
- Mar54° high36° low
- Apr59° high39° low
- May67° high44° low
- Jun71° high49° low
- Jul78° high53° low
- Aug78° high53° low
- Sep73° high48° low
- Oct61° high43° low
- Nov51° high37° low
- Dec45° high34° low
Where it is
- Rainbow Falls · State park
- Nearest town
- Pe Ell, Washington · 5.1 mi
- Managed by
- State Park and Recreation
Nearby
- Deer TrailHiking0.1 mi
- Oxalis Loop TrailHiking0.1 mi
- Hemlock TrailHiking0.2 mi
- Bunker CreekCanoeing4.4 mi
- Chehalis RiverCanoeing5.3 mi
- South Fork Lincoln CreekCanoeing6.2 mi
- Halfway CreekCanoeing7.1 mi
- Elk CreekCanoeing8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
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
46° / 34°
21 wet
Feb
50° / 34°
18 wet
Mar
54° / 36°
19 wet
Apr
59° / 39°
17 wet
May
67° / 44°
12 wet
Jun
71° / 49°
9 wet
Jul
78° / 53°
5 wet
Aug
78° / 53°
5 wet
Sep
73° / 48°
9 wet
Oct
61° / 43°
15 wet
Nov
51° / 37°
20 wet
Dec
45° / 34°
22 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Centralia, WA, 14.7 mi away at 185 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
