Rainbow Falls is a 65-foot waterfall on the Ausable River in Essex County, New York, dropping in three steps into the head of Ausable Chasm just outside Keeseville. It can be seen free from the Route 9 bridge or up close from the trails of Ausable Chasm, a private attraction that charges admission.
The falls
Three natural steps lie below a 15- to 20-foot dam: a drop of about 10 feet just under the dam, a pair of side-by-side chutes of about 5 feet beneath the Old State Road Bridge, and the main fall of about 50 feet into the chasm, which splits into two streams for much of the year. Lidar puts the natural falls at about 65 feet in total; older surveys listed 75 feet, and the Ausable Freshwater Center gives 91 feet. Opposite the main drop, an overflow spillway from the hydroelectric project often pours a man-made fall into the gorge. The chasm walls are Potsdam sandstone that the attraction dates to about 500 million years old.
Getting there
The Ausable Freshwater Center rates the falls easy and road accessible, with a view from the Route 9 bridge just outside Keeseville. For a closer look, Ausable Chasm's Rainbow Falls and Elephant's Head Vista route covers about half a mile on stone walkways, bridges and stairways. Trails-only admission is $19.95 for ages 13 and up, $11.95 for ages 5 to 12, free under 5, and $12 for residents of Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties. From September 8 to October 12 the park is open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from October 13 on weekdays only.
When to go
Ausable Chasm keeps its trails open year-round, weather permitting; float tours and shuttles run from mid-May through Columbus Day. The river is regulated by the hydroelectric project, so the falls may not flow consistently.
On site
Pets and strollers are not allowed, though service dogs may use the Rainbow Falls and Elephant's Head trails. The tours are not recommended for people who have trouble with stairs, and drones are banned.
History and name
Among the earlier names are Birmingham Falls, Anderson Falls and Long Shoot. Ausable Chasm opened as a tourist attraction in 1870.
Nearby
Horseshoe Falls is about 0.1 mile away on the same river, and Alice Falls about 0.4 mile.
Distances are straight-line.