Horsetail Falls
California · 791-foot drop · Desolation Wilderness · Last verified 2026-05-15
Right now
This Afternoon
46°F
Mostly Sunny
Tonight
31°F
Clear
Today's daylight
Sunrise 5:46 AM · Sunset 8:07 PM · 14h 20m
Snapshot built 7m ago. Sources: NWS STO.
Horsetail Falls is a waterfall in El Dorado County, California. It drops roughly 791 feet. Access details and conditions have not yet been verified in person by Fallspots — the data on this page comes from OpenStreetMap and USGS GNIS.
Horsetail Falls is a waterfall in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness of El Dorado County, California, United States. It falls in stages for 791 feet (241 m). It can be reached by hiking north out of the Twin Bridges trailhead on U.S. Route 50. There is a forest service parking area designated to the area.
When to go (from the climate data, not our opinion)
Monthly averages from Open-Meteo's reanalysis dataset (2020–2024). Highlighted months are when we think the waterfall is at its best — but the numbers are the numbers regardless.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip (in) | Snow days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 22 | 7.3 | 13.8 |
| Feb | 36 | 21 | 4.9 | 11 |
| Mar | 36 | 21 | 8 | 17.2 |
| Apr | 44 | 27 | 3 | 8.4 |
| May | 52 | 33 | 2.3 | 6.2 |
| Jun | 67 | 44 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Jul | 78 | 54 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 75 | 52 | 0.9 | 0.2 |
| Sep | 69 | 47 | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 2.5 | 4.2 |
| Nov | 42 | 25 | 3.7 | 10.2 |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 10.8 | 14.4 |
Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API · ERA5 reanalysis 2020–2024.
Compare to nearby falls
If this one isn't the right fit, here's how it stacks up against the closest documented falls. Every column is filterable on the site — not buried in 13,000 reviews.
| Waterfall | Distance | Height | Trail | Dogs | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horsetail Falls (this page) | — | 791 ft | — | Y | Free |
| Modjeska Falls | 4 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Cascade Falls | 7 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Upper Eagle Falls | 8 mi | — | — | Y | Free |
| Lower Eagle Falls | 8 mi | — | — | — | — |
| Eagle Falls | 8 mi | — | — | — | — |
Related waterfalls
Similar height (~791 ft)
- Amicalola Falls728 ft
- Chilnualna Fall696 ft
- Depot Creek Falls886 ft
- Berdeen Falls899 ft
- Tueeulala Falls915 ft
Questions visitors ask about Horsetail Falls
Answers built from our structured data. If a question isn't here, the fact is unverified — we'd rather omit than guess.
How tall is Horsetail Falls?
Horsetail Falls is 791 feet (241 m) tall. Height is sourced from Wikidata.
Is Horsetail Falls in a national or state park?
Yes — Horsetail Falls is inside Desolation Wilderness. We inferred this from OpenStreetMap protected-area polygons; if you find we got the boundary wrong, please report it. See the park page for fees, hours, and current conditions.
Can I bring my dog to Horsetail Falls?
Yes — dogs are allowed (Desolation Wilderness permits leashed dogs in most areas). Inferred from park type; check the official site for trail-specific restrictions. Always leash and pack out waste.
Is there a fee to visit Horsetail Falls?
No entrance fee. Desolation Wilderness is free to access. Some trailheads may charge a parking fee separately.
How far is Horsetail Falls from a major city?
Horsetail Falls is 6 miles from Meyers (about 8 minutes' drive).
More waterfalls in California
Where it is
38.8299, -120.1234
Sources and live status
Where we got the data, and where to check current conditions before you drive.
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horsetail_Falls_(California)
Wikidata (Q2967728)
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2967728
GeoNames (5358218)
https://www.geonames.org/5358218/
Last verified by Fallspots: 2026-05-15
Been there?
Marina and Theo verify pages one road trip at a time. If you've been to Horsetail Falls recently, your local knowledge improves the page for everyone. Pick the kind of contribution that fits — every email lands in our inbox and gets read (and credited when we publish).
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