Rainbow Falls

Rainbow Falls is located along Highway 6, east of Pe Ell. Drive south from Olympia along I-5 to the signed exit for Rainbow Falls State Park. Turn right onto Highway 6 and drive about 16 miles west to the park. The falls are adjacent to the bridge crossing the Chehalis River which leads to the campground.Rainbow Falls is a small cascading waterfall along the Chehalis River which interrupts what is otherwise a flat-water section of the river. The falls tumble no more than 5 feet over a broad, rounded ledge of basalt which becomes essentially submerged during periods of heavy runoff or flooding.The origin of the name of the falls hasn't been confirmed, but the most plausible is a local story, which states that it was named by George Onn of Dryad, for the Rainbow Division, which participated in World War I.