About Ponytail Falls (Upper Horsetail Falls)
Ponytail Falls was kind of like a “Mini Me” version of Horsetail Falls.
That was because this waterfall also featured the strange hourglass shape and dual chute profile when viewed from its left side.
In fact, I’ve seen some people refer to this waterfall as the Upper Horsetail Falls.
In any case, what this waterfall had that its bigger brother didn’t was that we were able to safely walk behind it.
Another distinct feature about this waterfall was that it was flanked by protruding rounded cliff formations (undoubtedly produced from volcanism) giving an appearance as if there were a pair of foreheads on either side of the falls.
Although there were a few options with which we were able to combine a visit to the Ponytail Falls with other waterfalls, we did the most straightforward route.
This meant that we started at the Horsetail Falls parking lot, and then we hiked uphill to Ponytail Falls.
As a result, this was the shortest trail connecting the two falls and it was about 0.4 miles each way (0.8 miles round trip).
The trail itself continued to go behind the Ponytail Falls as it kept on going for another mile or so before eventually hooking up with the Oneonta Trail (where Triple Falls was located).
Although we didn’t do it, we could’ve very easily turned this out-and-back hike into a loop hike.
This would have involved picking up the Oneonta Trail and heading back towards the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Then, once on the highway, we’d walk back towards the Horsetail Falls trailhead along the road.
Overall, this longer loop hike was said to be 2.5 miles.
Authorities
Ponytail Falls (or the Upper Horsetail Falls) resides in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area near Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon. It is administered by the USDA Forest Service. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.
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