The Horsetail Falls Trail joins the Oneonta Trail on a 3.9 mile out-and-back route that includes Horsetail Falls, Ponytail Falls, Oneonta Falls and Triple Falls. This moderate hike begins at Horsetail Falls along the Historic Columbia River Highway and climbs to a large tunnel carved behind Ponytail Falls. It continues to a high bridge over Oneonta Falls, then splits left on the Oneonta Trail to Triple Falls.

Oneonta Creek splits into three segments and plunges 64', forming Triple Falls

Middle Oneonta Falls is located 1.05 miles from Horsetail Falls Trailhead, and easily viewed from a wide bridge across this famously narrow gorge

The trail runs right behind Ponytail Falls under a pronounced alcove, providing one of the most interesting up-close interactions with a waterfall in the gorge

Ponytail Falls drops 88' down Horsetail Creek in a classic 'plunge' structure before adopting its namesake 'horsetail' shape over Horsetail Falls

It's so 'meta'! Horsetail Falls embodies its namesake shape, as well the creek itself (Horsetail Creek)

A bridge crosses Oneonta Creek just past Triple Falls, where the trail continues up the east bank to the Horsetail Creek Trail junction

The trail passes directly behind Ponytail Falls with relatively easy access down to the plunge pool

The trail leading to Triple Falls can be rocky and uneven, with a few narrow sections over steep drop-offs

Lava flows which formed the Columbia River Basalt Group originated from feeder dikes in eastern WA and OR and spread west across the Columbia River Basin

Keep a safe distance from oft-saturated and potentially unstable cliff edges along trails in the Columbia River Gorge

An outcrop along the main trail provides a picture-perfect view of Triple Falls at 1.75 miles