Ponytail Falls (Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA)

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Ponytail Falls (Upper Horsetail Falls)

Ponytail Falls is kind of like a "Mini Me" version of Horsetail Falls. That's because this waterfall also features the strange hourglass shape and dual chute profile feature. In fact, some people refer to this as Upper Horsetail Falls. But what this waterfall features that its bigger brother doesn't is that it's one of the handful of waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge area that you can safely walk behind.

Another distinct feature about this waterfall is that it's flanked by protruding rounded cliff formations (undoubtedly produced from volcanism) giving an appearance that there are a pair of foreheads on either side of the falls.

Although there are a few options with which you can combine this waterfall with other falls, we did the most straightforward route to see this falls. That means, we started from the Horsetail Falls car park area and hiked uphill for about 0.4 miles. The trail actually passes behind Ponytail Falls where it continues for another mile or so as it hooks up with the Oneonta Trail.

Directions: This waterfall shares the same car park as Horsetail Falls, which is 2.5 miles east of Multnomah Falls along the Old Scenic Hwy (Historic Columbia Gorge Hwy).

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Trail climbing above Horsetail Falls

Looking out towards the Columbia River Gorge from the upper parts of the Ponytail Falls Trail

Getting closer to the falls

Looking directly out from behind the waterfall

Looking back at the falls from the other side

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Bottom up sweep from the trail showing this falls really is like a mini-me version of Horsetail Falls

More profile view of the falls appearing like the water just shoots through a narrow chute

Looking out from behind the waterfall

View of the falls from the opposite side

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TRIP REPORTS

For more information about our experiences with this waterfall, check out the following travel stories.

March 30, 2009

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