Burney Falls in Northern California

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Located in the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park near the small town of Burney Ca.

Burney Falls is so amazing to see up close. It was even said to be called “the Eight Wonder of the World” by President Theodore Roosevelt.

Burney falls is easily accessible and only takes a couple of minutes to get down the falls from the parking lot. It gets busy in the summer months so make sure you get there early.

Seeing this waterfall up close was amazing and definitely worth the trip. Here is all the information.

Burney Falls

• 0.3 miles to the base of the falls

• Falls Loop (if you want to hike around the falls) 1.2 miles 

• $10 for parking 

• Dogs are NOT allowed on the trail down to the falls (they are allowed in the park itself)

Getting There

The park is northeast of Redding, six miles north of Highway 200 on Highway 89 near Burney. 

From Redding you will take the CA-299 exit E toward Burney/Alturas.

From here you will drive for about 55 miles up into the mountains until you pass through the town of Burney. After Burney, CA.

Then you will turn left onto State Highway 89/Volcanic Legacy Scenic

Byway/CA-89 continue for 5 miles until you see the entrance to the park on the left.

On your way into the park you will pay $10 for day parking. 

Keep driving straight after the pay station and you will see the main parking lot on your left.

If it is full, drive down the road next to the main parking area and there is additional parking.

Make sure you get there early because if all the parking fills up they do close down the park temporary.

We got there at about 11:00 am and there was still quite a bit of parking spots left. 

The Trail at Burney Falls

Right next to the parking area is the trail head. If you go to the left you can go to the falls look out area which is about 150 feet away.

From here you can see the falls and its a great spot for photos.

To hike down to the base of the falls you will go the right.

The hike down is more of a paved pathway with sections of stairs and railing almost all the way down.

It is a very easy walk down and is only .3 miles so it just takes a couple minutes. 

Once about halfway down there is a small seating area and then you continue on the trail.

From here on the rest of the trail you can start to see Burney Falls through the trees. 

There is another small seating area before reaching the bottom section of the trail.

Once at the bottom there are dirt and rock sections that you can hike down to get right down to the water.

They are a bit steep so make sure you bring some good shoes. 

Once you get down near the water it is just amazing how clear and blue the water looks. I almost felt like I was somewhere tropical.

We talked to a park ranger and he said that the water is so clean since it flows through the underground springs it doesn’t really get dirty or muddy and comes out the falls pristine and clear.  

You can even feel a mist of water in the air down near the falls which was amazing since it was a warm summer day when we went. 

If you continue to the very end of the trail there is a nice viewing spot of the falls and creek below. Another perfect spot for photos. 

This is also where the 1.3 mile loop trail begins that wraps along the outer edge of the falls.

We didn’t have enough time to go on the loop trail but we will be going back again soon. 

More About Burney Falls 

The waterfall itself is 129 feet and comes from underground springs above the falls formed by ancient lava flow, then the water flows out into nearby Lake Britton.

This waterfall has a constant flow even in the summer months since it is fed by the underground springs. 

The falls are a sacred place for the Pit River Indian Tribe, who have held ceremonial rituals here for thousands of years. 

Back up in the parking lot there is a visitor center, bathrooms, campground area, and even a general store with a full gift shop. 

I bought the Burney Falls wild huckleberry taffy and I was so good. I would recommend trying it if you love taffy. 

Burney Falls Camping

If you want to stay the night, Burney Falls has a excellent campground with 128 sites, restrooms and showers.

You can even book one of their 1 or 2 bedroom cabins nestled in the trees.

Just make sure you bring lights and your own bedding since there is no electricity. 

If you decide to stay you can also rent lake toys to enjoy lake Britton which is right below the campground. 

We took a quick drive around lake Britton and even spotted some kayaks and it was so pretty.

Other spots to check out in Burney CA

Right before you get to Burney there is a really pretty vista point.

You can see it right from the road so you don’t have to stop be we stopped to take some quick photos.

We also found some cool paintings when driving through Burney Ca on our way to Burney Falls.

This one below was right when you are coming into town on the right hand side.

This one below was in the middle of town on the right hand side.

Parts of the Pacific Crest Trail actually go through Mcarthur-Burney Falls state park.

This one below was on the side of the bowling alley that we took when leaving town.

Visiting Burney Falls is something that I would recommend to anyone.

Young or old it is the perfect easy hike to view a stunning waterfall.

Just make sure you get there early and leave plenty of time to check out all the park has to offer.