Horsetail Falls- Columbia River Gorge
Horsetail Falls- Columbia River Gorge
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
408 reviews
Excellent
267
Very good
121
Average
17
Poor
1
Terrible
2
Lea
Houston, TX194 contributions
Aug 2022
As part of the Waterfall Corridor, my boyfriend and I stopped by here after visiting the Wahkeena Falls and before getting to Multnomah Falls. There is a small parking lot available right in front of the falls, and it's just a short walk to get there. Luckily, it wasn't so crowded when we arrived, so we were able to get some nice up close and personal shots. Would definitely recommend stopping by here!
Written January 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aitrus
151 contributions
Jun 2021
We unfortunately didn't have a lot of time to explore the Columbus River Gorge area but this was a nice stop. The view of the lower falls was very easy to get to and with a short hike we were able to get to the upper falls as well as the lookout point. The hike did have a steep start but leveled off and was easy from then on.
Written July 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lynette_cypress
Boise, ID486 contributions
Jul 2021
We stopped here after visiting Crown Point (a beautiful historic "rest area" for travelers along the old scenic byway.) It's not as busy as Multnomah Falls, and parking was available (a free lot plus parking along the road.) The hike is uphill until you get to the upper falls, but it's in good shape The lower falls are pretty spectacular - you can drive/walk right to those. The upper falls are even better! The trail goes back behind them for a great viewpoint. You can walk down to the pool where the water hits to swim or enjoy the mist. Continue on the path to a beautiful overlook above the Gorge. But be warned: there are no guard rails and it's a sheer cliff to the bottom. A small sign nearby was a sad reminder to be careful: a young man died there years ago when he fell from the cliff. The trail continues to the next canyon, but we turned around after about 1 mile.
Written August 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BigMerk
Glasgow, UK2,709 contributions
Apr 2022
On the road from Portland to Boise is a turn off for these falls. It’s not far off the main road and there is a decent amount of free parking. Like many others, we parked, had a look, took some photos and then drive into Multnomah Falls. But these falls are well worth a visit.
Written April 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PorkyCat67
Regina, Canada26 contributions
Mar 2020
Well worth the drive to stop and see the Horsetail Falls. It is so very lush and green here. The ferns are huge. March was a great time to be here as the water flow was heavy making for a very pretty show.
Written April 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rather_Nomadic
Panama City, FL1,799 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We honestly wound up here because all the parking was full at Multnomah Falls but it turned out great. The falls are right on the roadside with parking and no hiking required. You can hike up to the upper falls but we didn’t. The falls sit in almost an amphitheater where the water spray keeps it very cool even on hot days. There are a couple picnic tables but the low walls and rocks are also perfect for sitting. There is a big, shallow pool where you can wade in the cool water. Nice stop.
Written July 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Have Camera, Will Travel
South Bend, IN3,807 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
It was not an ideal day to check out waterfalls the day we were in the gorge. It was a constant light rain and cool. I actually had to buy a new sweatshirt to add a layer.
Anyway, the trolley tour I booked suggested that we start at the end and then work our way back. We all hopped off at Horsetail and had about 15 minutes before the trolley circled back to the stop. It was plenty of time for pictures, videos, and some quite time to take in the falls.
You are close to this one. We stood a few feet from the edge of the pool and the falls were only 10-12 feet away. To me, there were 4 waterfalls that I wouldn't miss in this stretch of the Gorge and this is one of them. Check it out.
Anyway, the trolley tour I booked suggested that we start at the end and then work our way back. We all hopped off at Horsetail and had about 15 minutes before the trolley circled back to the stop. It was plenty of time for pictures, videos, and some quite time to take in the falls.
You are close to this one. We stood a few feet from the edge of the pool and the falls were only 10-12 feet away. To me, there were 4 waterfalls that I wouldn't miss in this stretch of the Gorge and this is one of them. Check it out.
Written August 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg M
Charlotte, NC5 contributions
May 2022
This is a beautiful, robust waterfall right along the road, an easy stop for anyone. Seemed to be plenty of parking on a rainy day. Nothing else to do there but be amazed at the water! (or start a hike at the nearby trailhead).
Written May 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim W.
Atlanta, GA1,353 contributions
Jul 2022
This is the somewhat scaled down falls within a mile or so (east) of Multnomah Falls. It has a small parking lot; we were able to wait for a couple of minutes and get a space. Once in the lot, you merely have to cross the road to see the falls.
While not nearly as tall as Multnomah Falls, this is impressive in its own right. There are a couple of different vantage points, and you can get good photos from either one. Again, as we visited in the morning the lighting was not ideal.
If you are driving through the gorge, this is definitely worth a stop just for the convenience to impressiveness ratio.
While not nearly as tall as Multnomah Falls, this is impressive in its own right. There are a couple of different vantage points, and you can get good photos from either one. Again, as we visited in the morning the lighting was not ideal.
If you are driving through the gorge, this is definitely worth a stop just for the convenience to impressiveness ratio.
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Davigeta
Saint Louis, MO1,135 contributions
Aug 2020
This waterfall is right off the road and you do not have to hike to see it (I am sure the hike is great, but I was glad not to have to hike to see it!). At the base of the waterfall is a pond, and kids enjoy that area a lot. A very pretty spot, DEFINITELY worth a stop.
Written August 31, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How long in miles is the roundtrip on this trail going all the the way to triple falls? I will be visiting the Columbia river gorge in the middle of July, is 2 days too much time to spend in this area? We don't do the water sports, but I would like to hike Multnomah falls to the top and hike the Oneonta gorge at least to the first waterfall. My wife is 5.3 will she be too small to get across the water to the waterfall in the Oneonta Gorge?
Thanks
Written December 16, 2014
I live in Portland and have visited the Gorge several times by car and some hiking trips. I don't do water sports as the water is freezing all year! When you go to Multnomah Falls there is a visiting center where you can get maps of hiking trails and a map to hike all the Water Falls in the loop. If you going in July you will enjoy it as it should be really hot and humid. You can also take a scenic drive that takes you up to Crown Point ( a must see), and a stop at The ViewPoint Inn built in 1926 that is on the cover of the book Twilight and the Prom was filmed there in the movie. It burned on the inside and they were renovating it when I was there. The best investment you can buy is a book called Curious Gorge by Scott Cook. It covers over 100 Hikes and Explorations in the Columbia Gorge.I keep it in my car and have almost seen everything in the book :)
Written December 17, 2014
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