While many of the small communities along the McKenzie River are named after the postmaster or one of the postmaster’s children, Rainbow is named for the native trout that swam in the crystal-clear water. Rainbow Camp was built in 1924 as a simple stop for travelers, but as the years went by there came other services and buildings. Soon visitors could buy goods, fuel their automobiles, send mail, and look at, maybe even touch, “wild animals.”