Upstate Volunteers Build New Hiking Trail in Greenville County

Volunteers from YMCA Camp Greenville and from throughout the Upstate spent several weekends carrying bits and pieces of a bridge along the Jones Gap State Park Trail, about 3/4 of a mile, to build a new bridge over the Middle Saluda River, the state’s first designated scenic river, in an effort to connect the Jones Gap State Park Trail to the Rainbow Falls Trail. Rainbow falls is a beautiful 100’+ waterfall in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness area. It falls over a multi-colored canyon wall freely for 80-100 feet and has numerous smaller cascades that begin at the bottom of the falls. The Rainbow Falls trail has many steps with some cut in solid rock and others made from logs. The hike is a two hour moderately strenuous one because of the ascent going to the falls. The walk back is much easier.

Prior to the opening of this trail, the only access to the falls was from YMCA Camp Greenville located above Caesar’s Head State Park. The trail from Camp Greenville is only .5 miles but descending into the canyon to get to the falls requires ropes because of the sheer vertical drop at the end of the trail.

Jones Gap State Park
303 Jones Gap Road
Marietta, SC 29661
864.836.3647