Worth it worth it worth it! We visited Rainbow Falls from out of town and are so glad it was recommended to us. We followed the Gorge Trail to see the waterfalls, and we'd consider it between easy and moderate. If you are not an avid hiker (I am not), it is definitely doable. I did it in flip flops although I wouldn't recommend it. By chance, we started in the South Entrance and inadvertently avoided the "stairs/steps" everyone talks about. Ok with us - the Gorge Trail is so beautiful, scenic and unique, and what we wanted to see. There were plenty of opportunities for great pics. We did the entire loop, minus the stairs from the main entrance, in about two hours. If you're chasing waterfalls, please stick to the Gorge Trail 😂

There are 2 options for hiking the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail: from the main entrance or from the upper entrance. We parked our car at the upper entrance and started hiking down the trail. Once you get to the bottom of the gorge, you can take the seasonal shuttle ($6 per person) back to where you parked your car. Hiking the Gorge & Indian Trail is free. However, you will need to pay $10 parking fee at the state park entrance.

It is worth visiting "Rainbow" Falls. You can really face beutiful rainbow near the fall (Please refer to my video!!) Easy trail but it may be better with sneakers due to many stairs. Not that far from catching this amazing scene from the entrance.

Beautiful!!! Make sure you do the whole Gorge as there are falls on both sides but if you only have time for a short hike do the lower part. Highly recommended!!!

This nearly 150-foot high waterfall is a sight that should not be missed. Located about a mile west of the park's main entrance, just follow the popular 1.5-mile Gorge Trail through the 400-foot-deep gorge until you reach the famous Rainbow Falls and adjacent Triple Cascade. This Rainbow Falls is located in Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County, New York (not to be confused with the Rainbow Falls and Indian Head trail in the Adirondack Mountain Reserve).The park includes dense hardwood forests, beautiful views, waterfalls, three lakes and numerous hiking trails. The park is managed by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Park in the lower parking area and take the Mossy Glen Trail (yellow), which is almost an immediate left off the lower Carriage Road( corner of parking lot ). The trail hugs the Peters Kill for almost 2 miles. Follow the trail left and up to the upper carriage road and make a right. Follow the Carriage Road for about a mile and look for the orange blaze on the right for Rainbow Falls Trail heading downhill. Follow the trail a short distance for about a half mile to the base of the falls. Continue along the base of the falls following the orange markers UP the short rock scramble. Once at the top enjoy the view of the Catskills in the distance,Rainbow Falls is simply magical. Plummeting from the airy heights of the Great Range in the Adirondack Mountains, Cascade Brook has etched away at the heart of the High Peaks to form a miniature box canyon so narrow that it rarely sees complete sun. What results is a stunningly beautiful micro-ecosystem and one of nature’s most impressive and refreshing natural showers.

Absolutely beautiful but I would recommend starting at the top and not the in town park entrance or you will be walking up over 800 steps verses walking down.

Beautiful nature walk. Wear appropriate clothing and shoes. There are some parts where the path is muddy or wet from the adjacent waterfalls. So don't be afraid to get your shoes wet and dirty. There are alot of inclines and declines to traverse. Some elderly folks may have an issue with the ups and downs. But loved the scenery. You will too.

We didn't see any rainbows at the falls the day we were here. But it was great walking under the falls. Other than people taking wayyyyy to many selfies it was amazing.

We visited on the day before Christmas, it was such a nice walk, the view is astonishing, highly recommend if you are in the area. We stayed in Burdett.

Beautiful walk through nature and down the gorge by the water. Rainbow falls area is very cool with a walk under an overhang that has water running over it, like a baby waterfall

Needless to say, Watkins glen is one of the best hikes on our list that we kept trying to do but haven’t made time for the 5-6hrs drive. Well, it was so worth it to make it a weekend trip just to hike this alone. Easy hike and picturesque. Rain or shine is fine since the path is so well made. The waterfall trail isn’t pet friendly but there’s a trail too of it that is.

This was a fantastic visit to some of my favorite geographic features on earth. It’s a serious walk with lots of stairs but absolutely worth the effort if you’re capable. Pro tip- park at the north entrance, hike down along the falls, and hike back on the rim trail. This way, the most challenging stairs are done at the beginning.

Great place to see beautiful waterfalls and the change water can do to rock over time. Shuttle was not running.... they should do a better job of letting people know (one small sign at entry)