# Indian Head & Rainbow Falls Hike in the Adirondacks

2026-05-31 · https://ibraverse.ca/adventures/indian-head-rainbow-falls/

> An 11-mile loop in the Adirondack High Peaks: Gill Brook up to the Indian Head ledge over Lower Ausable Lake, Fish Hawk Cliffs and the 150-foot Rainbow Falls.


Almost no scrambling, and it ends at a cliff over a lake shaped like a Norwegian fjord. Indian Head & Rainbow Falls is the most bang-for-effort hike I've done in the Adirondacks.

## The place

Indian Head is a rock ledge high above Lower Ausable Lake, deep in the
Adirondack High Peaks near Keene Valley, NY. The lake below is long, narrow,
and walled by mountains on both sides. Add Rainbow Falls, a ~150-foot cascade in
a mossy gorge, and a side trip to Fish Hawk Cliffs, and you get three viewpoints
in one loop.

The land is the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (AMR): private, but open to
hikers through a conservation easement. That comes with rules (below).

## What I did

I parked at St. Huberts and walked the flat Lake Road from the Ausable
Club, then took the Gill Brook Trail, which climbs gently past a chain of
small waterfalls.

The only real work is the final push to the Indian Head ledge. From there I
crossed to Fish Hawk Cliffs for a second angle on the lake, then dropped down
to Rainbow Falls before the long, easy walk back on Lake Road.

## Recommendations

- **Go for:** the Indian Head vista over Lower Ausable Lake, for relatively
  little climbing.
- **Do the loop:** up via Gill Brook (waterfalls), down via the steep Indian
  Head trail to Lake Road. Add Fish Hawk Cliffs, which is 5 minutes away.
- **Reservation:** AMR requires a free reservation to park/hike
  May 1 – Oct 31. Book ahead at hikeamr.org: no reservation, no entry.
- **No dogs.** Strictly enforced on AMR land.
- **Distance / time:** ~10.8–11 mi (about 17.5 km) loop, 6–7 hours with breaks,
  so start early.
- **Budget:** free (bring your own food/water: no services on trail).
- **Best time:** late spring to mid-October. Fall for the foliage.
- **Getting there:** trailhead parking at St. Huberts / Ausable Club, Keene
  Valley, NY. ~2h from Montréal, ~2h from Albany.
- **Bring:** 2L+ water, layers (the ledge is windy), real hiking shoes, and a
  paper/offline map, since there's no cell service.

[Indian Head & Rainbow Falls — Adirondacks](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Indian+Head%2C+Lower+Ausable+Lake%2C+Keene+Valley%2C+NY)