These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
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Horsetail Falls is a massive waterfall that you can see along the June Lake Loop in June Lake, CA. The flow of this waterfall is very impressive, especially after some good rain and snow melt. To get a better look at Horsetail Falls, you can get there by hiking along the beautiful Rush Creek Trail. Rush Creek Trail is part of the trail toward Agnew Lake, however, you could always turn back once you reach the Horsetail Falls. At 270ft, Horsetail Falls is the largest waterfall in the June Lake Loop.
Rush Creek Trailhead Main Parking:
37.783195, -119.127611
Trailhead
37.782915, -119.128105
Decent size paved lot in front of the trailhead
Free
Vault toilet at Rush Creek Trailhead main parking
Dogs are welcomed but must be on a leash.
3 miles R.T (4.2 miles R.T to Agnew Lake)
839 ft (1,289 ft to Agnew Lake)
Moderate because of the elevation
Takes average 2.5 to 4 hours
We recommend hiking Rush Creek Trail to Horsetail Falls in the summer or fall. In the Winter or Spring, you will encounter snow, which makes this hike a lot more challenging. In the summer, you’ll also get to see the wildflowers.
To get to Horsetail Falls in June Lake, you’ll have to use the Rush Creek Trail. The parking lot for Rush Creek Trail is located along CA-158, across from the Silver Lake Campground. There is a big sign at the entrance of the parking lot for Rush Creek Trail. The trailhead is located near the vault toilet. The trail is a gravel path lined with wooden fences.
As we made our way toward the trailhead for Rush Creek Trail, we could see the Horsetail Falls thundering down the side of the mountain, beckoning us to come. We couldn’t wait to get a closer look. Once parked, we found our way toward the gravel path to start our hike. After a very short distance, we came to an opening in the wooden fence on the left-hand side. This is the official start of the Rush Creek Trail. There is a directional sign that points toward the trail. We went left to follow the Rush Creek trail to Horsetail Falls.
The Rush Creek trail runs along the backside of the RV campground before veering right to cross over a small wooden bridge. After we crossed over the bridge, the trail started to ascend. This is also the last turn/junction that we had to worry about. The rest of the trail is very straightforward.
After a short distance weaving through the trees, the Rush Creek trail opens up to the beautiful scenery of Silver Lake. This trail runs parallel to June Lake Loop for quite a bit before turning toward the mountainside. Because of this, as we climbed higher, the view of Silver Lake got better and better. Don’t forget to look back to take in the beautiful views below. The trail also got rocky in certain spots. Also, even in August, there was still some snow left. So, depending on when you go, you might need to bring crampons in case there are still tons of snow on the trail.
As hard as we were breathing, we couldn’t help but admire the scenery. Clear blue lake, snow-covered mountains, tall evergreens, and colorful wildflowers…It’s a perfect combination for a postcard-worthy view. And this view got better and better as we climbed higher. Once the trail leaned right toward the mountain, we could see Horsetail Falls cascading down the side off in the distance. Even at the distance, it was still very impressive.
At this point, the Rush Creek trail becomes rockier. There are some short stair sections as well. That being said, it wasn’t that bad, except for the relentless climb of course. Here’s the thing, you can’t get super close to the Horsetail Falls at all. The Rush Creek trail just climbs alongside of Horsetail Falls instead of taking you to the base or the top of it. So, you can hike as far as you want and turn back. We wanted to get near the top of it so we hiked further.
The Rush Creek trail eventually reached the Cable Tramway Crossing. This tram system is part of the Rush Creek Hydroelectric System. It helps the workers get up to the Agnew Lake to work on the dam. When we were here, we ran into some workers riding the cart down the tramway. It looked super fun!
Now, to continue on with the trail, you have to cross over this tramway. The Rush Creek trail will zigzag its way up the mountain. This zigzagging section is a lot steeper than the rest of the trail we just did. At this point, it was super hot and we weren’t that motivated, so we decided just to check out a small part of the zigzag section. We got to the first wide turn section. From here, the view of the Horsetail Falls was breathtaking. It’s a whole different angle from what we’ve seen so far. We couldn’t stop taking tons of photos.
At this point, if you’re up for it, you can continue to climb up to Agnew Lake. It is about 1.2 miles round trip from here. We decided to turn back though. It was very warm the day we hiked so we weren’t exactly motivated. Maybe next time! The way back is the same as the way up. However, don’t forget to keep an eye out for this awesome tree that has an opening at the bottom of its trunk. It was pretty cool to see. The tree is better spotted on the way down than on the way up. It is on the right-hand side, facing the lake!
If you’re looking for more beautiful yet moderate hikes around this area, we recommend Sky Meadows, Crystal Lake, and Sherwin Lake. For more challenging hikes, we love Duck Lake and Valentine Lake. Don’t forget to check out Mono Lake. It is a very unique spot where you can see the interesting tufas rising out of the water.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of That Adventure Life. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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