The hike along Rainbow Ridge is famous for 2 things - big views and fabulous wildflowers, and it more than delivers on expectations! Being up so high above the surrounding valleys gives you a commanding vista across the surrounding terrain, and allows you to scope out future adventures on peaks like Old Glory and Mount Roberts.

The trail up the ridge is constantly twisting and turning, so the view is always changing, and there's no telling when you'll suddenly hit a completely new outlook. Most of the time the trail is right on the ridge crest itself, so there's rarely a dull moment. In addition to the views you'll pass through multiple meadows filled with wildflowers, and these are at their best in late June and early July.

The tricky part about this hike is actually moving enough to get it done - the distractions around you make it tough to maintain a good average speed! It's an effort worth making, however, because the trail feels much longer than the raw statistics make it look, and there are tiny twists and turns most of the way, some of which won't be picked up when FATMAP automatically calculates distance - count on doing a 20km hike rather than a 17km hike!

Most hikers follow Rainbow ridge to a vague, rocky summit which has a huge view to the east, because this is the point at which the trail drops off the ridge crest to pass below Record Mountain. You could easily carry on past Record Mountain and then drop down into Red Mountain Resort, but the logistical challenge that doing so entails means that most people decide against a car shuttle and do this as one of the Kootenay's finest out-and-back hikes.