A waterfall that arrives fast and stops you cold: 176 feet of water dropping right at the edge of the pavement, falling in one tight, swinging plume exactly like a horse's tail in the wind. There's a small lot at the base, steps from the road. Beyond the roadside view, a short half-mile trail up the switchbacks reaches Ponytail Falls, where the path does something rare, carrying walkers right behind the curtain of water through a shallow basalt alcove. One of the best easy payoffs in the gorge, with layered Columbia River Basalt cliffs framing the whole scene. An effortless stop with a hidden walk-behind reward for anyone willing to stretch their legs.
Eyes Left — Horsetail Falls, one hundred and seventy-six feet of water dropping right at the edge of the pavement. The name's no accident: it doesn't fan or step, it falls in one tight, swinging plume, exactly like a horse's tail in the wind. Pull into the lot; you're at the base in a minute.
