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Rainbow Canyon

Colorful Canyon Cutting Through Badlands

Canyon in Rocky Mountains near Kane, WY

Rainbow Canyon is located in the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains near Lovell and is one of the most colorful area of badlands in the Bighorn Basin. Although its relatively close to US Highway 14A, it is easy to miss because it is not visible from the highway.

To take a view from the edge, turn south onto an unmarked BLM Road that immediately crosses a cattle guard. Coming from Lovell it is the last road on the right before reaching the Five Springs Falls Campground road. You will immediately cross a cattle guard as you turn off the highway.

When on the moderately rough two-track, keep right until reaching a small loop in the cottonwoods passing by a very old picnic table. Five Springs Creek is impassable by car so you must beginning walking at the crossing. There are ruins of an old bridge, but it has long been decommissioned.

After crossing the creek, follow the two-track / cattle path towards the canyon rim.

At one time this might have been a more popular spot. There are records of a "Rainbow Canyon Observation Point" in the government’s geographic names database, but nothing but the canyon exists here now. There are nice views within the canyon, but it is a very steep off-trail journey to get there.

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Canyon