Burney Falls is our favorite waterfall in California! And that is saying a lot, considering Yosemite National Park is just a few hours south and home to dozens of bigger waterfalls. However, Burney Falls, in McArthur-Burney State Park, is a unique waterfall that flows year-round. What makes Burney Falls even better? It’s location in Northern California means that it is less crowded than other California waterfalls. Plus, the fact that it is located just a few minutes walk from the parking lot along a paved trail makes it even better. Keep reading to get all the details for your upcoming trip to Burney Falls.
About Burney Falls
Height: 129 feet
Flow: 100 million gallons/day
Claim to Fame: called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by a president and our personal favorite California waterfall
Both the Burney Creek and underground springs trapped under layers of volcanic rock feed Burney Falls. So when you see Burney Falls, you’ll see a small river at the top of the falls and then an impossibly expanded waterfall flowing mostly from underground fissures. We call these wizard waterfalls as the water magically appears out of seemingly nowhere (we saw another one on our Iceland road trip). The falls are very wide at the base but if you look at the top of the falls, you’ll see that there is only a small streams at the top of the rock face.
When To Visit Burney Falls
Because Burney Falls is flowing from an underground reservoir, it flows pretty steadily year-round. Which means if you want to see the falls at its best, you don’t need to visit during any particular time of year.
However, there are some prime times to visit McArthur-Burney State Park. Because this is such a great park for camping, it does get pretty busy during the summer months (June-August) when school is out. So visiting in May-early June or September are great times to visit. These times will give you the warmth of summer with fewer crowds.
You can visit the falls year-round. However, if the winter months you will need trekking poles and crampons to hike on the icy and snowy trails.
Getting There and Around
Burney Falls is located along the National Volcanic Scenic Byway in Shasta County of Northern California. It is about 1 hour from both the towns of Mt Shasta and Redding, California. In the winter months, several of the roads to Burney Falls close due to heavy snowpack. So make sure to check road conditions before embarking on your trip if you are traveling in the winter months (November-May).
There are small airports in both of these towns. However, most out of state folks visit Burney Falls as part of a larger Northern California road trip or as a road trip from a larger town like San Francisco. Some also visit as a day trip from Oregon or Reno, Nevada.
Where To Park To See Burney Falls
Parking is only allowed in the parking lots in the park. These lots are very small and fill up by mid-morning in the summer months. If you park along the road outside of the park, you will get towed. If you are worried about getting a parking spot, you can always camp in the park and then you have a reserved parking spot at your campsite. All of the campsites are within easy walking distance of the Burney Falls trailhead. If you have a campsite, you can park at your site as early as 2 PM the day of your checkin and stay as late as noon on the day of your checkout.
What To Budget
The fee to enter is $10/vehicle. however, if you have a campsite, your entrance fees is included in your campsite fee. More on campground information below.
You will want to bring all the food you need into the park. There are no nearby restaurants. However, there is a general store where you can get snacks. Like all small and remote stores, the prices are higher than they would be if you bought food in nearby Redding or Mt Shasta.
Burney Falls Hike (or Walk)
Distance: 1-mile loop | Elevation Gain: 167 feet | Time: 30 minutes | Difficulty: easy
The first section of the hike is the steepest. You’ll do little mini switchbacks to get to the shore of the pool below the falls. This section of the walk, because it is so short we’re calling it a walk not a hike, is what everyone does. It is paved and considered accessible. It only takes about 5 minutes and if you want to, you can snap the best pictures of the falls here and turn around and leave.
However, if you want to extend your walk by just a few more minutes (okay 25), continue on the loop through the river valley. Walk along a well maintained and mostly level trail. There are signs all around explaining the unique microclimate at the base of the falls. Because of the falls and the valley at their base, you’ll stay cool down there in the damp shade.
Next, cross a small bridge and start the gradual uphill climb along the opposite side of the river. From here, take a peak at the top of Burney Falls where you will be surprised by how little water is flowing.
Bonus Hikes At McArthur-Burney State Park
The Pacific Crest trail runs through the park. This famous trail runs all along North America and was made famous by Reese Witherspoon in Wild. You can extend your Burney Falls hike even further upriver by walking on this trail. And then you can tell people you hiked the Pacific Crest Trail 😉
Also, you can hike to Lake Britton, the lake that Burney Creek feeds into. There is a swimming beach and picnic area located along the shores. If hiking doesn’t sound like fun, you can also drive here.
**This hiking trail is currently closed due to damage so you’ll need to drive if you want to visit the lake**
Can You Swim At Burney Falls?
Can you? Yes. Will you want to? No. Swimming in the pool at the bottom of Burney Falls is technically not allowed (there were no signs posted in 2023). However, the temperature is general 42°F, so it will be cold which makes sense since a majority of that water is coming from underground springs. So if you are interested in swimming, the better option would be to head to the beach along Lake Britton in the northern section of the park.
Also, as this isn’t going to be a pleasant place to swim, don’t be rude and put your swimming self in everyone else’s photos. This is an extremely popular photography spot. Also, swimming in the pool looked really dangerous. There was a lot of rushing water all around the still pool. So I didn’t try it but I also didn’t see a safe option of entering the pool without getting banged up on some rocks.
About McArthur-Burney Falls State Park Campground
This was a very nice campground, in our opinion. Campsites are well spaced out with lots of shade. Each site has a fire ring and a strange grill thingy that we suppose you could use for cooking, though ours looked like it hadn’t been used in a while.
Campsite fees are $35/night (plus a $7.99 processing fee) for non-electric sites. Electric sites are not available. Additionally, there are a few rustic cabins that are also available for reservation (heat, no electric or plumbing). Reservations fill up months in advance, especially for weekends. The reservation period opens 6 months prior to your travel date.
There are several shower/flush toilet buildings in the campground. Each was a single use toilet/shower.
What To Pack For Burney Falls
You’ll want to pack bug spray. This is a forested area with plenty of moisture which means the mosquitos are terrible in the summer.
Also, this is a great place for bird watching. So if you’re bird nerds like us, don’t forget to pack your binoculars.
Make sure to dress in layers as it tends to be several degrees cooler at the base of the falls than it is at the top. So if you plan on completing the full Burney Falls loop, make sure you have a jacket or coverup to keep warm.
If you forgot to pack something, there is a small general store with limited food and camping supplies.
Additionally, if you’re visiting in the winter, don’t forget to pack trekking poles and crampons for hiking on the icy trail.
Safety
This is a bear area. Which means you’ll need to keep your food in a safe place when you are not using it. Because of bears and other native wildlife, dogs are not allowed on trails. However, you can take dogs into the campground. The park suggests you leave dogs at home, because if you can’t even take them hiking how much fun are they going to have on vacation with you.
We hope this post has helped you to plan your own Burney Falls vacation. We loved this waterfall more than any other waterfall in California and we hope you will too. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave them below.
