Horsetail Falls (Jeff Statt)

Stone architecture near the base of the falls (Jeff Statt)

• Hikes including this destination:
  • Ponytail Falls Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Horsetail Falls Loop Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)
  • Rock of Ages Loop Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

• Latitude: 45.58980
• Longitude: -122.06870
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Elevation: 20 feet
• Height: 176 feet
• Creek: Horsetail Creek
• Extra info: Wintertime photos

Description

Horsetail Falls is one of the most scenic points right along the Historic Columbia River Highway, making it a popular spot for tourists and sightseers. Just 34 miles east of Portland, the falls drop 176' in a single horsetail formation into a roadside pool. It's common for spray from the falls to blow over the highway and onto passing cars. It's also very common to find a patch of ice on the road and trees in the winter months.

Construction of the Columbia River Highway began in the spring of 1913 - at the time considered a great engineering feat. Chief engineer, Samuel C. Lancaster, put a priority on providing easy access to areas like Horsetails Falls, but not at the cost of disgracing "what God had put there".

The highway made Horsetail Falls a significant tourist attraction, being the subject of photographs and postcards dating back to the early 1920s. It remains a popular location to this day.

More Links

• Horsetail Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)
• Horsetail Falls (Waterfalls West)
• "Horsetail Falls, Oregon" (The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey)

Contributors

• Stevefromdodge (creator)
• Jeffstatt