First Hike of 2021: Signal Point to Rainbow Lake

Since moving to Tennessee we have always done a first of the year hike on January 1. Some years we are able to meet up with friends for this hike.

 

This year the first of January was rainy and miserable so we decided to be flexible and go on the 2nd when it was sunny.

 

 

It turned out that the weather was so nice that the entire mountain must have had the same idea! 

 

We met up with two other families at Signal Point (we couldn't fit in the parking lot so had to park on the street a ways out and walk to the trailhead). When we were all gathered we headed down all the stairs from the point making our way to the Julie Falls overlook.

 

Then we proceeded on to Rainbow Lake. This was a first for our family. We passed the Rainbow Falls waterfall (not the waterfall at the Rainbow Lake dam but the actual Rainbow Falls). Another time we will have to try the scramble down to the base.

 

We stopped at Rainbow Lake for snacks and a break. The kids played and the parents visited. Then we headed back up to the Rainbow Lake parking lot on Ohio and walked down the street to the car. Completing our first hike of the year. This was 1/52 for my personal goal for the year and five miles.