Milepost 47.1

Rainbow isn’t named after one of their postmasters or one of their postmaster’s children like most of the communities on the McKenzie River. It hasn’t had a post office since the last one shuttered in 1937. The town isn’t named after a nearby mountain, ridge, or river either. The name comes from the rainbow trout that populates the river. Rainbow may seem like the sort of town you could blink and not know you’ve driven all the way through, but this town has some hidden jewels. One of the best hikes in the McKenzie River Valley is the Castle Rock trail, and you access it on King Road. The trail is steep and has many switchbacks, but once you’re on top you can see where the very first lookout tower was built in the Willamette National Forest. Unfortunately, it’s not there anymore because it was burnt down by vandals in the early 1970s, but there is an amazing view of the valley and the Three Sisters.

The Belknap Covered Bridge is in Rainbow. This bridge was first built around 1890 but after years of wear and tear Lane County rebuilt it in 1911. That bridge held up well for the stage coach and horseback riders, but after the invention and wide use of the automobile, the county constructed a third bridge in 1939. This third covered bridge was an engineering feat, but even it could not stand up to the Great Flood of 1964 or “The Thousand Year Flood.” The pounding of relentless flood waters tore the bridge off its foundation and carried it down river. The Belknap Bridge that stands today was made in 1966 although the side windows were added in 1975 to improve the interior lighting, the bridge was strengthened in 1992, and a new roof was put on in 2002.

If you want to eat dinner, Takoda’s in Rainbow is a great place to go. If you need gas or groceries, you can stop at Blue Sky Market. Harbick’s Country Inn provides beautiful rustic rooms. There’s a quilt shop and a mountain bike rental store and more in the small town of Rainbow. The US Basketball Academy is hidden in Rainbow, and if you want to golf on one of the most beautiful courses in the United States you can hit the links at Tokatee’s, nine or eighteen holes. And if you want entertainment or to go to a social event, check the calendar for the Upper McKenzie Community Center.

All in all, Rainbow is one of the best kept secrets in the McKenzie River Valley.