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By
BEN MCCARTY
News staff writer
August 6, 2008
Do you know one of “those people?”
You know, that person who on the hottest day of the year will
decide that it is a great day to go for a hike?
“Why don’t we just go to the coast or to a lake?” You’ll say.
“Because we decided to go for a hike. And besides, heat stroke
builds character,” they will respond.
Well now there is a way to make everyone happy!
Head 30 minutes west on I-84, take a little jaunt down the Old
Columbia Highway and you will find a few of the Gorge’s natural
treasures.
The Horsetail Falls to Oneonta Gorge trail is not overly taxing,
and better for those hiking in the heat, it is largely in the
shade.
You can start the trail from either the Horsetail Falls
trailhead or the Oneonta Gorge trailhead. I recommend starting
from the Oneonta Gorge end, as Horsetail Falls is the star
attraction of the hike, and if you see it first, the rest can be
a bit anti-climactic.
The Oneonta Gorge trailhead is located about 1.5 miles west of
the Horsetail Falls trailhead; you will see parking on the north
side of the road for both trailheads.
From the Oneonta end of the trail you will climb up a switchback
that takes up the first .25 miles of the hike. It is also as
difficult as the hike gets. Once you are clear of the
switchback, the trail settles into a gentle climb that takes you
across Oneonta Gorge and up the opposite side. Once you have
climbed out of the gorge you will hear the rushing of Horsetail
Falls.
The path takes you under an overhang behind the falls before
slowly dropping you back down to the Horsetail Falls trailhead
via another series of switchbacks.
The trailhead provides a great place to stop and eat lunch. At
that point, all that is left is to decide who gets to hike back
to get the car. Perhaps, the person who wanted to go hiking in
the heat to begin with would make a good volunteer?
Getting there: Take I-84 to Exit 35. Get on Columbia
River Highway. Horsetail Falls trailhead is about two miles down
the road, just past Ainsworth State Park. Oneonta trailhead is
about a mile farther down the road.
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