Updated July 2026
Horsetail Falls
Horsetail Falls is the tallest waterfall in the Tahoe region, with Pyramid Creek dropping roughly 800 feet down glacier-carved granite faces at the edge of Desolation Wilderness. The Pyramid Creek Trail gains elevation quickly and the final stretch involves rock scrambling over granite slabs.
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 Eldorado National Forest / Desolation Wilderness for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Horsetail Falls drops about 800 feet. That makes it the 12th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 99% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
Access is documented as moderate hike. No trail distance is on record for Horsetail Falls. The nearest town is Twin Bridges. Confirm access and land status with Eldorado National Forest / Desolation Wilderness before setting out — some documented falls have no public route at all.
Late spring to early summer. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More California waterfalls
- Alamere Falls · 40 ft
- Bassi Falls · 109 ft
- Berry Creek Falls · 70 ft
- Big Falls · 500 ft
- Bridalveil Fall · 617 ft
- Burney Falls · 129 ft
- Carlon Falls · 35 ft
- Cascade Falls · 200 ft
Sources
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