The Trail
This moderate trail is 2.2 miles one way to reach the falls with a 1580 foot elevation change. There is also a view point looking up at the falls from a distance about 1.7 miles up the trail, as marked by the green flag in the topographical map below.
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| Topographical Map |
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| Graph of Elevation |
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| Trail in Google Earth |
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| Heading up the trail near its beginning |
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| Falls from viewpoint 1.7 miles up the trail |
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| Falls from view point (zoomed in) |
About two miles up the trail, there is a turn off to the falls that goes up some rocks. It may not be very apparent at first. If you miss this turn off you will continue up the mountain along the trail shown in red on the maps (which continues further than shown).
Soon after the turn off you will reach the falls. From here you will see that Horsetail Falls actually does not fall vertically; it just drops at a steep slope. It is easy to walk around this area to various view points around the falls, and if you continue on you will also find some other small falls above the main falls.
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| Small falls above the main falls |
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| Horsetail Falls with the canyon in background |
This trail is open to dogs and horses as well as hikers.
Directions
This trail is located in Utah County
near Alpine. If you are coming from the north from I-15, take exit 284 and turn left onto Timpanogos Hwy/SR 92. Then turn left onto Highland Blvd. and then right onto 11800 North. This road will turn to the left and become Westfield Rd. When the road reaches a split, turn right onto 200 North. Continue to Grove Dr. and turn left. Where Grove Dr. splits, keep to the right. At the end of Grove Dr. there is a dirt parking lot for the trail head.
If you are coming from the south, take exit 276 off of I-15 and turn right onto 500 East. Continue to State Street and turn left. Then turn right onto 100 East/Alpine Hwy. Continue along this road until you reach 200 North. Turn right, go to Grove Dr., and turn left. Where Grove Dr. splits, keep to the right. At the end of Grove Dr. there is a dirt parking lot for the trail head.
Note: When we went to hike this trail, a mudslide had taken out part of the trail and the parking lot area. This area was being repaired, but we had to park a little further down the road and walk up to the trail head.
Directions