Wonderful intermediate level mountain trails. I love spend hours here, connecting with mother nature.Its big enough that you have several different route choices and you arent constantly running into other people, which is a big deal for me.I definitely recommend this location for either a family outing or just a getaway from your everyday stress.

Picturesque and fun are good words to describe this nature trail. So happy to fine such a great hiking trail in Madison!

Shady and wonderful trail. Lots of interesting rock formations. Rocky but easily navigable.

Loved this trail. Great one for kids 5+. Several geocache on rainbow trail.

The leaves are almost gone, but there are some that are still bright

The enjoyed the trails as well did I. The cliff views are beautiful. Def one of our new spots.

The scenery is fantastic, lot of good rock formations. Different levels on each trail.

Really nice spot. Very cool rocks with lots of shade

Beautiful scenery, several different trails ranging from beginner to expert. Theres a park for kids to play, and picnic tables under a pavillion. Also on the easier trails there are benches located in random spots for you to rest a moment if you get winded. Just do not get caught out here after sundown, the cops get tipped by local neighbors and will hurry up there to nag and question you.

Good but not for beginners or people with young kids i.e. last that 8 or so

Nice and clean park. A bit too crowded with kids yelling in several spots . Hard to go out of the path, and slippery on the rocks, so wear the right shoes ! A variety of trees and nice landscape. Parking lot is free and very close to the starting path. Bring something to drink with you. Fall is probably the best season to visit, youll love it !

Great rainbow loop definitely great start.

Very fun. Cool views, kid accessable. My ten year old had a great time running and climbing.

Absolutely awesome park to go if you want to take a short hike. Be careful though even if it isnt wet the sand on some of rocks can be slippery.

Parking fills up on the weekends. There is a little bit of overflow parking, but expect to see some cars parking on the street.

Really neat trail with incredible rock formations, get there to check it out and support Land Trust which works hard to offer us such beautiful places to explore.

I loved it. Will definitely be going back!

Great Hike. Great Workout. Cant wait to hike it again.

Limited parking. Fun trail. Lots of ppl, families, dogs and elderly on the trails! A bit of an exertion going up hill. More of a moderate trail. Not stroller friendly. Beautiful overlooks. No bathrooms. One port-a-let for everyone. :< No water fountain. Appropriate facilities would have been very much appreciated. Nice covered picnic area. Small play area.

Good, not too long, decently steep sections, periodoc rocky sections of trail. Good to just hang out too.

Very nice trails not a lot of parking

Really pretty hiking trails. Sneakers with good traction & plenty of water are a must-have, as the terrain requires some rock climbing. Cute little playground at entrance but not a stroller-friendly trail. Picnic area under pavilion was welcoming. My older kids loved it.

Great place for hiking. Be aware though. The hike is down and then back up. The second half of the hike is rough, especially if you are backpacking a child or having to carry a worn out toddler. I would recommend going clockwise (left from top) it just seems easier.

A lot of fun my girls always enjoy hiking on the rocky path. Just be sure to wear decent shoes some up and down hiking. A very nice stream crossed in the rainbow mountain trail

So close to my house and so peaceful to my soul

Nice area, not a lot of parking and it is a popular spot. Trails are well marked near the trailhead but on the far side of the park you are on your own. We ended up at a residence, no big deal back tracking and finishing the loop.

Great place to get out and about.

Trail goes downhill from the start and you have to come uphill on the way back. Incredibly slick, no options for following the trail down and exiting that way. I went expecting at least some moderate exercise, but Im a lot more out of shape than anticipated, and after a rain, it was a headache coming back up even part of the way. Ive seen reviews claiming this is an okay trail for beginners, but Id say maybe not until youve gotten very used to walking on uneven terrain. Going from paved to this was a bad move on my part.

Its a great place for a morning hike. Its also family friendly and theres plenty of benches on the hiking trail for breaks. The only thing I would say isnt great is during the weekends, when theres a lot of people, parking can get a little annoying. Its within a residential neighborhood so whenever I have to park on the street I feel like Im annoying the people who live there. I want to be a little more respectful of peoples space, so a larger parking area would be nice, but I dont know where theyd put it...

Great trail ~ kids loved it

Always great. Not full at 6am.

There are only about 8 spaces but street parking is available.

Gorgegous

Really cool rock formations are the main attraction here. The wooded trails are a bit rocky with significant elevation changes, so bring water, take your time and look for trail markings. There is a porta potty in the parking lot. If full drive ahead and look for a place beyond the lot.Near the trailheads is a pavilion and small open area with older playground equipment near the lot.The rocks everyone mentions are on the trail to the right. After the rocks, the main trail is one of the more difficult ones in the area. Rocky and significant elevation changes. A few tricky places where the trails are not well marked.Still, this really cool oasis in the middle of residential Madison is one of our go to places.

Beautiful, quiet and excellent place to center oneself...

Area clean. Parking easy.

This is a nice little hiking trail. An average American will have no issues with these trails. The trail head is right by the parking lot, and has a small park for kids to play at before/after the hike.There are a few different trial options. The trails also intersect, so there are several combinations for different hikes. The trails range from about 1.54 mi, up to more than 5mi depending on how you connect them. See the map on the website. The terrain is easy, but does have some large rocks to step over.There are plenty of up/down steep grades, but nothing the average human and/or dog cant do. These trails are dog friendly, but not stroller friendly. Would go again.

First time visit during Christmas break. Trails were a bit tricky with lots leaves covering them. A good hike after Christmas meals.

Trails are nice. Rock formations are awesome RC rock crawling.

Great outdoors experience. Easy hike.

Clearly marked trails

Great parking lot. Really great!

Nice to scenery, good workout...great family outing and exercise...trail is really rocky in some places; take water especially if you are taking the bigger route/trail. Signage is somewhat confusing if you are a rookie (like us)

Great trailhead in the middle of madison. Love taking the family there

Theres a helpfully placed porta potty. The only downside is that on a busy day there wouldnt be adequate parking but one could always park in the street if necessary.

Great place to get away from traffic & the hustle of life

Beautiful view at the end 100% worth it

Plenty of shady spots. Picnic pavilion, tables. Benches. Trail map and your first steps into the shady trees..a playground with benches to watch. Portable potty.

Well marked trails with lots of people walking.

Wonderful trails amazingly close to Huntsville in the heart of Madison.

Quick little trail close to home. Well maintained. Not recommended if your looking for a walking trail. Very rocky , more of an adventure trail. I would recommend you start by going left at the playground . Going up the Spring Trail is pretty hard if you choose that trail.

Its a good rugged hole but its so rugged that you have to watch where youre stepping vs enjoying the scenery

Nice forested trails. Some cool rocks.

Came here every day for about a week while I was in the area for work. A bit too rocky for me to run the whole thing but there was enough elevation gain that I got a good workout in anyways. Felt very secluded considering its in the middle of a bunch of subdivisions. Parking is limited but I never had any issues finding a spot in the evenings.

Great trail system. Recommend you print out a free map to carry with you.

Much longer than I expected. but, a fun hike

The MTN trails consisted of dirt and rocks but nothing that a good pair of sneakers couldnt handle. A few hikers also brought their dogs. Thankfully I didnt see any poo but, my daughter said she saw some on the side of the trail. Gorgeous views and place to soak up the beautiful nature scenery. The location is isolated around beautiful real estate, so I thought my GPS was off..but it was correct luckily. I took my kids ages 9, 2, 3 to enjoy a peaceful good time. I could tell they enjoyed it. The kiddie park is small but joyful with a few swings and slides. Plenty of picnic tables for snacks. Also the trees were marked to remind you what trail you are on. If flying gnats bother you, perhaps bringing bug spray could help.

Amazing trail and great preservation went with my family and not only has fun got a great workout

Great little neighborhood park. The trails are enjoyable but very rocky.Parking can be scarce.

Scenic hikes.

Great for hiking and kids. Very quiet. I would recommend it to anyone.

It was very challenging for the hiker on the Walker make sure you bring plenty of bottled water and dont drink the water that sitting on the bench I personally recommended.

Adorable family friendly trails

Nice 1 and 2 mile loops on well marked and well maintained trails. Playground in the parking area.

As always a very nice place in town to hike. Lots of people with dogs hiking today, but as usual there were not issues with people or pets.

Good parking with hiking trails, covered picnic tables and playground nearby.

Beautiful little hike down interesting rock formations following a river and its various small falls.

Not enough stalls and with bigger vehicles it isnt easy to maneuver.

Great hiking area that offers multiple trails to explore and forget about the rest of the world for a while. They also have a park and picnic area for families who just want to get out of the house and enjoy the fresh air.

Great escape! Hard to believe this extensive trail group is right in our city. Love this place. Land trust nailed it! It has changed alot since the 90s...

Nice trails

I havent been inside of a gym in a few years. I also dont get out much on weekdays. Been walking the Indian Creek Greenway every weekend for about six months. Also, Im pretty big (fat) and kind of tall, so Im top heavy.Why do I preface my review with these details? The Rainbow Mountain Loop Trail is not to be taken lightly. Its not something you just throw some shoes on and go hike. The REI Hiking Project lists the loop trail as a single black diamond. That is no joke. It may only be 1.5 miles, but man is it a difficult 1.5 miles for someone as out of shape as I am.There are many, many places the inexperienced person could get themselves in a world of hurt. There are a lot of rocks/boulders. When people say its rocky, I envisioned maybe a lot of small stones on an otherwise dirt trail. Nope. Its like 75% navigating legitimate rocks. This will be hard on the joints if youre, like me, severely out of shape.Also, whichever way you go, be it left or right at the old playground, youre going to enjoy a steady decline for the first 0.6-0.7 miles. The remainder will be an unbelievable incline that is mostly unrelenting save for a few brief respites. Fortunately, with the abundance of rocks, there are plenty of places to take a seat and ponder your terrible life decisions that led to this awful moment where you think you might be dying and your heart is trying to break out of your chest.Your average fit person probably wont find it quite such a dramatic experience. I found myself pondering the decision several times when my legs did not want to keep climbing. This was an extremely embarrassing, but necessary, wake up call.Im not trying to discourage you from taking the trail. The opposite, in fact. If youre fat and out of shape, get ready to destroy some of your ego. Oh, and for the love of God, bring water. I did not. That was a monumental miscalculation.

Always super busy after a lot of rain. Your still able to park along the side of the road. Trails have plenty of room.

Easy peaceful shady hike.

Well maintained trails with lots of routes for every type of hiker. I enjoy starting with the rainbow mountain trail loop and ending on balance rock.

I absolutely love love love this place! It only has a small amount of parking, but it has hiking trails for all levels! Its so gorgeous and quiet!

Nice walking trails in the middle of Madison.

Great place for hiking!

Great little hiking area in the center of town! Over 3.5 miles on the side of Rainbow mountain

Hiked the trail with 7 yr daughter. The trail was well marked. They a play ground at the beginning too.

Great hiking trails

Great hiking trails!

Small parking lot, but fantastic trails. Large boulders and tall step distances make this a little more.of a challenging hike.

Just the right mix of hiking and walking. Takes about 35 minutes for main trail. Nice little cardio workout if done walking briskly or even running. My favorit spot locally to enjoy both nature and exercise.

Awesome place to be outdoors.

Good for the average day, but when its busy or theres a meeting/event, the parking is really quite small. I had to park down the street for the North Alabama Foraging meetup recently, which wasnt too bad, but could be inconvenient for others.

A rocky path but fun to walk

Great parking area for the rainbow mountain trailhead. Space is limited though, and no bathrooms so plan ahead.

Great hike. Low impact, but the water isnt here right now.

Beautiful place to rest & recharge. Nearly stayed too late & almost dark before I got out.

Small, but clean and provided a porta potty.

Decent size parking lot

A wonderful place 2 hike and enjoy nature take lots of water its a long trail ....

Great little hike. Perfect for Sunday morning afternoon hikes.

Nice trails. Small playground for children. Picnic shelter, porta potty,. Bring water - none available.

Beautiful trails but there is rarely any parking!

Beautiful trail with amazing views of the sunset and night sky.

They have paved it now.. it has been a while I know... But I was happy to see that it has been paved.

Its a hike

A great place to hike