• Type:
  • Loop

  • Difficulty:
  • Medium

  • Scenery Ranking:
  • 4/5

  • Accessibility:
  • Easily Accessible

  • Trail Maintenance:
  • Fairly Maintained

  • Facilities:
  • Play Ground
  • Restroom
  • Pavilion

Rainbow Mountain

Intro:

Rainbow Mountain is a 3 mile trail owned and maintained by the Land Trust of North Alabama and is located just a few minutes away from Madison,Al. It is conveniently close to the city, yet it seems you are far away from civilization while hiking. Rainbow Mountain offers 2 loops. The Rainbow mountain loop is 2.1 miles, however if you want to extend your hike (which i think you should) you should take the .9 mile JaMooKoo loop as well.

Trail Head:

The trail head is located just off Stoneway Trail Rd.

To access the trail head: The trail head is right there at the parking lot. You can't miss it. There is a structer in the parking lot with a trail map and other info

Difficulty:

I ranked this a "medium" simply because it has some rocky terrain and if you hike it while its wet it can get a little slippery in some places. It also has a few hills that can tire you a bit and you have to watch your footing in some areas. This is a great trail to be sure you bring your hiking stick on!

Hiking the Trail:

It is best to start on the trail entrance to the right and go from there. Reason being you will get to see "balance rock" early on in your hike. You will want to follow the loop around until you reach the JaMooKoo trail head. The JaMooKoo trail will loop back into the Rainbow Moutain trail. From here you can continue your hike back to the parking lot. Along the way you will be hiking on some rocky terrain, so be careful. Some areas can get slick if it's wet. If you do not want to hike the extra mile loop you can just stay on the Rainbow Mountain loop, or you can take the spring trail which cuts across (I am not sure how well this trail is maintained or what to expect since I have not taken this trail). I suggest taking the JaMooKoo loop just for the extra hiking and for the enjoyment.

Scenery:

You see a good view from the top of the mountain looking down, and some great rock formations, and even a spring. Don't forget to look for "balance rock".

Trail Maintenance:

Fairly well maintained. Its kind of rocky. The JaMooKoo loop may not be as well maintained

Facilities:

There are no bathrooms or anything at the parking area. However they do have a play ground near by.