Rainbow Falls is a 20-foot waterfall on Dismal Branch, inside privately owned Dismals Canyon in Franklin County, Alabama, twelve miles south of Russellville.
The falls
Dismal Branch enters the canyon through Rainbow Falls, where rock shelters, natural bridges and boulders are formed in Paleozoic sandstone. The World Waterfall Database marks the waterfall Confirmed and gives the drop, in a single stage, at 20 feet.
Getting there
Dismals Canyon is an 85-acre privately owned conservatory at 901 Highway 8, twelve miles south of Russellville; visitors must register at the Country Store before entering. The canyon-floor trail to the falls covers 1.5 miles of natural, uneven terrain that can be muddy or ankle-deep in water, and it is not wheelchair accessible. Admission is $20 for adults Monday through Thursday and $26 on weekends and holidays, and access is limited to registered guests. Fall 2026 hours through November 1 were 10 to 5:30 Monday through Thursday, 10 to 9 Friday and Saturday, and 10 to 5 Sunday, with earlier last-admission times.
When to go
Operating hours change by season; waterfall flow, drying, freezing and crowd patterns are not documented.
On site
Dogs must be leashed, children under 16 need adult supervision, and visitors must stay on designated trails and away from the dam. Swimming is at personal risk, with no lifeguard, and ends at sunset.
History and name
Early settlers used Rainbow Falls to power a mill and water wheel; a flood destroyed it in the 1950s, and a millstone remains below the falls.
Nearby
Secret Falls is about 0.1 mile away. Butler Falls is about 12.9 miles, and Rideout Falls about 13.5 miles.
Distances are straight-line.