--- title: "Rainbow Pool — Explore Arnold | Arnold Haven" description: "A granite swimming hole on the South Fork Tuolumne beside Highway 120 above Groveland — the easiest cold-water swim on the road to Yosemite." lang: en json-ld: | { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "TouristAttraction", "@id": "https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/rainbow-pool#attraction", "name": "Rainbow Pool", "alternateName": "Rainbow Pool", "description": "A granite swimming hole on the South Fork Tuolumne right beside Highway 120 above Groveland — the easiest big cold-water swim on the road to Yosemite.", "url": "https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/rainbow-pool", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Arnold", "addressRegion": "California", "addressCountry": "US" } }, { "@type": "ItemList", "name": "Cabins for a Highway 120 Yosemite day", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "CHALET BRUIN", "url": "https://arnoldhaven.com/cabins/chalet-bruin" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "KODA LOFT", "url": "https://arnoldhaven.com/cabins/koda-loft" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://arnoldhaven.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Explore", "item": "https://arnoldhaven.com/explore" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rainbow Pool", "item": "https://arnoldhaven.com/explore/rainbow-pool" } ] } ] } --- [Skip to content](#main-content) [![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png)Arnold Haven Arnold · California ](/) [Cabins](/cabins)[Explore](/explore)[Guides](/guides)[Membership](/circle)[Support](/chalet-bruin-future)[Merch](/merch)[Book a stay](/cabins) ![Rainbow Pool](/assets/rainbow-pool-swimming-hole-BzrPbpCk.jpg) Explore Arnold # Rainbow Pool A granite swimming hole on the South Fork Tuolumne right beside Highway 120 above Groveland — the easiest big cold-water swim on the road to Yosemite. [Check availability](/cabins)[See the cabins](/cabins) First things first ## First things first Rainbow Pool is a wide green pool below a short waterfall on the South Fork of the Tuolumne River, a few miles east of Groveland on Highway 120. What makes it famous is how little effort it takes: the day-use area is right off the highway, and the water is a two-minute walk from where you park. From Arnold it is a long day trip rather than an afternoon — roughly two and a half hours each way, down Highway 4 and around through Sonora and Groveland. Worth it if you are already heading toward the Highway 120 gate; a stretch if swimming is the only reason for the drive. ![A deep green river pool ringed by granite slabs with pines above, swimmers on the rock](/assets/rainbow-pool-swimming-hole-BzrPbpCk.jpg) Geography ## Where Rainbow Pool sits ![Illustrated antique-style map of California inside the United States with a gold marker on Rainbow Pool east of Groveland on Highway 120](/assets/rainbow-pool-CGeXGqrI.jpg) Illustrated locator map — for orientation, not navigation. A granite swimming hole below a short waterfall, right beside Highway 120 on the road to the Big Oak Flat Yosemite gate. Snowmelt keeps it cold and fast into early summer; by August it settles into a calm pool with shallow water below. About two and a half hours each way from both cabins — a Yosemite-day stop rather than an afternoon swim. Region Sierra Nevada, the South Fork Tuolumne canyon County Tuolumne County Elevation About 2,700 ft Nearest town Groveland, ten minutes west Getting there Highway 4 to Sonora, then Highway 108 and Highway 120 east past Groveland 02 ## The pool itself The falls drop maybe fifteen feet over a granite lip into a pool deep enough that people have been jumping into it for a century. Slabs on either side work as sunbathing rock, and the shade comes from oaks and pines on the canyon walls. Below the pool the river runs shallow over cobbles, which is where smaller children usually end up. The water is snowmelt and it stays genuinely cold well into summer. In June it can be strong enough that the pool is not a place to swim at all; by August it is a calm swimming hole with a trickle of a waterfall at the top. ![A deep green river pool ringed by granite slabs with pines above, swimmers on the rock](/assets/rainbow-pool-swimming-hole-BzrPbpCk.jpg) ![A short waterfall spilling over a granite lip into a clear river pool in summer sunlight](/assets/rainbow-pool-falls-B72V_bM-.jpg) 03 ## Getting there and parking Follow Highway 120 east out of Groveland and the day-use pullout appears on the right where the highway meets the river. It is a small area and it fills on hot summer weekends, especially in the middle of the day. Early morning and late afternoon are quieter, and mid-week in September is close to empty. Facilities are minimal — expect a vault toilet at best and no drinking water. Pack out everything, including food scraps, and skip glass entirely. Access, fees and whether the area is open at all can change between seasons; the Stanislaus National Forest posts the current status for Highway 120 corridor day-use sites. ![A small roadside gravel pullout beside a mountain highway with a river below through the trees](/assets/rainbow-pool-pullout-GtZCynJo.jpg) 04 ## Doing it safely This is an unguarded river, not a pool. There are no lifeguards, the current above the falls is stronger than it looks, and submerged rock moves around from year to year with high water. Check depth before anyone jumps, keep small children in the shallows below the pool, and stay out entirely during spring runoff when the river is loud and brown. Cold water shock is the real risk here — even in a heatwave the river is cold enough to take your breath away in the first seconds. Get in gradually, and do not swim alone. 05 ## Where to stay for a Highway 120 day Both cabins are in Arnold, which puts you on the other side of the Sierra foothills from Groveland — a scenic drive rather than a short hop. Guests who make this trip usually pair it with the Yosemite gate on Highway 120 and treat it as one long day with the hot tub waiting at the end. - [CHALET BRUIN — 12 guests, 5 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/chalet-bruin) - [KODA LOFT — 4 guests, 2 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/koda-loft) Nearby ## Keep exploring [ ![Carlon Falls](/assets/carlon-falls-pool-D69A1Q-y.jpg) ### Carlon Falls A short shaded riverside walk to a wide waterfall, ten minutes further up Highway 120. Discover ↗ ](/explore/carlon-falls) [ ![Groveland](/assets/rainbow-pool-pullout-GtZCynJo.jpg) ### Groveland The last real town before the Highway 120 gate — fuel, food and supplies. Discover ↗ ](/explore/groveland-ca) [ ![Yosemite park entrance](/assets/yosemite-stay-valley-Ci_R7BQW.jpg) ### Yosemite park entrance Which gate to use from Arnold, and what the reservation situation actually is. Discover ↗ ](/explore/yosemite-park-entrance) Stay nearby ## Cabins for a Highway 120 Yosemite day Rainbow Pool is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Arnold, so guests pair it with a Yosemite day and come back to a hot tub. Looking for Arnold, CA cabin rentals? Arnold Haven has two dog-friendly cabins — a five-bedroom A-frame chalet that sleeps 12 and a two-bedroom loft that sleeps 4. Minimum stay is 2 nights, check-in is at 3pm and check-out at 11am. Check-in Self check-in, 3pm Cancellation Full refund 5+ days ahead; holidays 30 days - [CHALET BRUIN — 12 guests, 5 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/chalet-bruin) - [KODA LOFT — 4 guests, 2 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/koda-loft) Check live availability, see your full price, and book securely — ID check and payment are handled by Stripe. Check dates & book Good to know ## Frequently asked questions How far is Rainbow Pool from Arnold? + Roughly two and a half hours each way. The route runs down Highway 4, across to Sonora, then east on Highway 108 and 120 through Groveland. Can you swim at Rainbow Pool? + In summer, yes — it is one of the best-known swimming holes on the Highway 120 corridor. In spring the river runs hard with snowmelt and swimming is dangerous. There are no lifeguards at any time of year. Is there a fee or a gate? + It has historically been a free Stanislaus National Forest day-use area, but access, fees and closures change. Check the Stanislaus National Forest current conditions before you drive out. Is it good for small children? + The shallow water below the pool is, with close supervision. The pool itself is deep and cold, and the rock above the falls is slippery. ![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png) Arnold Haven Cabin stays in Arnold, California — minutes from Calaveras Big Trees State Park, White Pines Lake and Bear Valley. 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