Ponytail Falls

Cascade Locks, Oregon

4.6/5

based on 9 reviews

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Details

Distance

0.85 miles

Elevation Gain

463 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Talia Touboul

Ponytail Falls takes you along the trail in the Columbia River Gorge through a beautiful forest to a stunning waterfall.

Ponytail Falls is an easy 0.8 mile hike located in the gorge that begins at Horsetail Falls. After hiking up mild switchbacks, continue to your right at the first trailhead intersection. The path levels out before coming around the mountain and opening up to the waterfall.

This is the easiest waterfall hike in the Oregon Gorge and is accessible all year around. It is also a great spot to begin many of the other hikes in the area.

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Features

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Dog Friendly

Easy Parking

Family Friendly

Forest

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Picnic Area

River

Romantic

Scenic

Waterfall

Wildflowers

Swimming Hole

Ponytail Falls Reviews

Explorer

Michael Gabbert

Explorer

Ponytail Falls

04/01/17

A short hike from the Horsetail Falls area and parking lot. The ability to walk behind the falls was why I was originally drawn to hike these falls. That aspect did not disappoint. Going here in the winter, gave the falls an additional feature of 3 to 6 foot icicles hanging down behind the falls. From a crowd perspective, I went around 11am on a Friday and there were 8-10 people visiting the falls during the 45 minutes I spent there. All in all another must see falls in an area full of amazing waterfalls.

4.0

Explorer

Jameson Jones

Explorer

Ponytail Falls

11/01/16

Ponytail is an easy one to get to and worth the short trip if you're in the area. Like any of the gorge hikes near Multnomah Falls you're better off getting to the trail head early if you don't want crowds.

4.0

Julie Bryant

Ponytail Falls

05/09/16

Get there early if you hit it on a weekend. Parking was a zoo. Otherwise the hike was great. I went a little further to the creek. Definitely worth it to get away from the crowds. Seems most people stop at Ponytail Falls and don't venture further.

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Horsetail Falls Loop

Start off on this loop from Horsetail Falls Trailhead. It never hurts to start a hike with a view of Horsetail Falls. This 2.5 mile loop will start you off on Gorge trail #400 up Horsetail Falls Trail. You’ll encounter a few switchbacks before the trail flattens out and leads you into the valley toward Ponytail Falls. As you continue on this loop, you’ll get to hike behind the falls. After con...

Oneonta Gorge

*Currently closed (except a small portion of the upper trail between Multnomah Spur and Trail #444 on Larch Mountain)...here This hike is very short (1 mile roundtrip) but does take some time to do. The trail leads down from the road into a stream bed. You follow the stream bed upstream through a narrow gorge. At the entrance to the gorge there is a large log jam. This requires some balance to...

Triple Falls

Access to Triple Falls is currently closed. Learn more on the Forest Service Site. This hike, starting at the Oneonta Trailhead is a 3.2 mile roundtrip. You will gain approximately 600 feet in elevation as the trail often switches from moderate flat easy hiking to more difficult elevation gain and even a little bit of downhill. You will soon reach a junction point (#438) that leads to the Hors...

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is worth a quick stop anytime you're visiting the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Oregon. This waterfall is the tallest in Oregon at 620 feet and the third largest in the Pacific Northwest behind Bridal Veil Falls (1,289 feet) and Green Lake Falls (979 feet) and has an average flow rate of 150 cu ft/s over two drops. The falls are only about 30 miles from Portland a...

Larch Mountain's Summit

Done as a loop or one way shuttle (in summer/fall), the full Larch Mountain experience starts at the large (but still always full) Multnomah Falls parking lot. There you'll have the chance to grab a final snack, use the restroom, and fill water bottles before joining all the "tourist" hikers on the paved walk up to the top of the falls, where they tend to stop and this adventure truly begins. ...

Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop

The Multnomah-Wahkeena loop is a classic hike in the Columbia Gorge. Few hikes take you by as many waterfalls, and the tree cover makes it a great hike in the rain. Starting at the Multnomah Falls Parking Area, head to the main viewing area of Multnomah Falls. If you get there early in the morning, you can avoid some crowds while you take in one of Oregon's iconic sights. Be sure to read the...

Ponytail Falls

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Ponytail Falls Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Horsetail Falls Loop

Oneonta Gorge

Triple Falls

Multnomah Falls

Larch Mountain's Summit

Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop

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