Updated July 2026
Horsetail Falls
Horsetail Falls fans roughly 328 feet down the wall of Keystone Canyon along the Richardson Highway near Valdez, Alaska, slanting across the rock rather than dropping straight. Fed by snow and ice melt, it is roadside-viewable from a paved pullout in summer and becomes a noted ice-climbing route in winter.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check the managing agency for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Horsetail Falls drops about 328 feet. That makes it the 38th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 95% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
Access is documented as roadside. No trail distance is on record for Horsetail Falls. The nearest town is Valdez. Confirm access and land status with the managing agency before setting out — some documented falls have no public route at all.
Late spring through summer (snowmelt-fed); ice-climbing destination in winter. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More Alaska waterfalls
- Barbara Falls · 25 ft
- Beaver Falls · 40 ft
- Bridal Veil Falls · 600 ft
- Brooks Falls · 6 ft
- Ebner Falls
- Falls Creek Falls
- Indian River Falls · 70 ft
- Juneau Creek Falls · 100 ft
Sources
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