Burney Falls: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting

Burney Falls is a 129-foot waterfall located in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in Northern California. Water pours over the top and emerges through the volcanic rock across its face, creating the wide curtain of water that makes it so recognizable.

I had seen Burney Falls all over Instagram, so I already knew it was supposed to be beautiful. Mark rarely knows exactly where I’m taking him, though, so each destination is basically a surprise for him. Before we even saw the waterfall, we could hear it from the parking lot. Our first indication of just how powerful it would be.

Burney Falls completely lived up to the hype for both of us, but we almost missed one important planning detail. The weekend reservation system was new for 2026, and most of the information I had seen didn’t mention it. We discovered the requirement about a week beforehand and luckily got a reservation, but we watched other visitors being turned away.

We spent approximately one hour at Burney Falls, including walking down to the base and completing the Falls Loop Trail. Here’s everything I would want to know before visiting.

At a Glance

📍 Location: Northeastern California, approximately 60–75 minutes from Redding
🕗 Day-Use Hours: 8:00 AM to sunset
💵 Entrance Fee: $10 per vehicle
🎟️ Reservations: Required on certain peak-season dates
👀 Main Overlook: Approximately 150 feet from the parking area
🥾 Falls Loop Trail: Approximately 1.2 miles
⏱️ Time Needed: Around one hour for the waterfall and loop
🏊 Swimming: Not permitted in the pool beneath Burney Falls
🐶 Dog Friendly: Dogs are not allowed on the park’s hiking trails

Always check the official McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park website before visiting. The reservation system, trail conditions and other park information can change.

Is Burney Falls Worth Visiting?

Yes. Burney Falls absolutely lived up to the hype for us. Honestly, I don’t know if photos fully communicate how impressive this waterfall is.

You can hear the water as soon as you get out of your car in the parking lot. It is powerful. Burney Falls is 129 feet tall, but what makes it so incredible isn’t only the height. The waterfall is extremely wide, with water pouring over the top and emerging through the volcanic rock all across its face. California State Parks reports that approximately 100 million gallons of water flow through the falls each day, and standing there, that number is not hard to believe.

Then you have the moss-covered rock, all of the smaller cascades surrounding the main drop and the gorgeous blue water below. There is so much to look at that I felt like I could have stood there staring at it forever. I couldn’t get enough of it.

Mark agreed that the waterfall lived up to the hype too. If we could only choose between Burney Falls and McCloud Falls, we would both choose Burney. It even topped Lassen for Mark as his favorite stop of the inland portion of our Northern California road trip. 

Our Experience Visiting Burney Falls

We visited Burney Falls on a Sunday morning during our August Northern California road trip.

Our day started in Redding with breakfast at Huckleberry’s before driving toward the park. Burney Falls was the first stop in what became an entire morning of chasing waterfalls. Afterward, we continued to McCloud and visited all three McCloud Falls before heading toward Mount Shasta.

I almost missed one very important detail: we needed a reservation.

The weekend reservation system was new for 2026, and most of the Burney Falls content I had seen didn’t mention it. I happened to discover the requirement about a week before our visit and luckily was still able to get a reservation.

Same-day reservations were not allowed, either. We actually saw people being turned away at the entrance while we were there, so this wasn’t one of those requirements that existed online but wasn’t being enforced. Had I not stumbled across that information beforehand, we could have driven all the way there and not been allowed into the park.

We arrived around 9:30 AM. It was busy, but it didn’t feel overwhelmingly crowded. By the time we left around 10:30, noticeably more people had arrived. The reservation system probably helped control the number of visitors, but I would still choose an earlier time slot if possible.

We spent around an hour at Burney Falls. That included time at the overlook, walking down to the base, taking photos and completing the Falls Loop Trail. We never felt rushed, but we also didn’t need to make it an all-day destination.

Do You Need a Reservation for Burney Falls?

For summer 2026, California State Parks introduced a pilot day-use reservation system for the park’s busiest days.

Advance reservations are required from May 15 through September 27, 2026, on:

• Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
• Memorial Day
• Fourth of July
• Labor Day

Reservations are not required Monday through Thursday during that period.

The park offers three types of passes:

• Morning passes valid from 8:00 AM to noon
• Afternoon passes valid from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
• A smaller number of all-day passes

The cost is $10 per vehicle plus a $1 processing fee. Same-day reservations are not accepted, so you need to book before the day of your visit. Even California State Parks annual passholders need a reservation, although the entrance fee is waived.

Because this was introduced as a pilot program, check the official Burney Falls reservation information while planning your trip. The dates and requirements may change in future years.

Parking

The main day-use parking lot is only a short walk from the first falls overlook. You do not have to complete a long hike before seeing Burney Falls. Parking along Highway 89 near the park entrance is prohibited, so you cannot park outside the park and walk in if the lot is full. 

Falls Overlook vs. Base of Falls

The main overlook gives you an impressive view of the entire waterfall from above, but I would not stop there, take a picture and leave. At minimum, walk down to the base of the falls.

Standing below it is a completely different experience. You can better appreciate the width of the waterfall, the water emerging through the rock and the sheer amount of water pouring into the pool. You can hear and feel its power in a way that you just can’t from the overlook.

It was also shockingly cold at the base. We visited during an extreme heat wave, with temperatures at lower elevations reaching above 100 degrees, and we were actually shivering near the waterfall. Between the shade, mist and cold water, it felt completely different from the rest of the region.

As soon as we moved away from the falls and reached the upper portion of the loop, it became noticeably warmer again.

Is the Falls Loop Trail Worth It?

Before we started the Falls Loop, Mark asked me why we were doing a trail when the waterfall was obviously the main attraction.

Fair question. 

I didn’t have some incredible payoff to promise him. I mostly wanted to complete the loop, stretch our legs after driving from Redding and see a little more of the park while we were already there.

But I ended up thinking the approximately 1.2-mile loop was gorgeous. The trail follows Burney Creek through the forest, with bright blue water rushing beside you, and crosses the creek on two bridges. I mean, what more could you ask for after seeing that waterfall?

Something about a creek running through a forest just makes me happy, and this was exactly that kind of walk. The trail was short and easy for us, but it added much more to the visit than simply walking down to the base and returning the same way.

Would I call the full loop essential? No. If you’re short on time, walk down to the base of Burney Falls and return the same way. You will have seen the main attraction. But if you have another 30 minutes and want to stretch your legs, I absolutely think the loop is worth doing.

How Much Time Do You Need at Burney Falls?

I would allow approximately one hour to visit the overlook, walk down to the base, take photos and complete the Falls Loop Trail. That was enough time for us to enjoy everything without feeling rushed. 

If you only want to see the overlook and walk down to the base, 30–45 minutes should be enough. You may want longer if you’re especially interested in photography or plan to explore other parts of the state park, but most road-trippers do not need to dedicate an entire day to Burney Falls.

Best Time to Visit Burney Falls

Burney Falls flows year-round, so you don’t have to plan your visit around spring snowmelt to see an impressive waterfall.

I would still visit earlier in the morning, especially during summer. The park was busy but manageable when we arrived and noticeably busier when we left an hour later. Starting early also allowed us to complete the Falls Loop before the hottest part of the day and continue to McCloud Falls afterward.

Under the current 2026 pilot program, summer reservations are not required Monday through Thursday. A weekday morning will likely give you the best chance of encountering fewer people without needing to reserve a time slot.

If you visit outside summer, check current weather, road and park conditions before making the drive.

Can You Swim at Burney Falls?

Swimming is not allowed in the pool at the base of Burney Falls. The water is also extremely cold. We were shivering just standing near the waterfall during our August visit.

If you want to swim inside the state park, Lake Britton has a designated swimming beach.

Can You Bring Dogs to Burney Falls?

Dogs are allowed in the campground, parking lot and on paved roadways, but they are not allowed on the park’s trails or in day-use areas. Since you need to use the trail to reach the base of Burney Falls, this is not a particularly dog-friendly stop.

Check the current California State Parks pet rules before visiting.

Things to Do Near Burney Falls

Burney Falls is relatively easy to work into a larger Northern California road trip. We visited while traveling from Redding to Mount Shasta, pairing it with all three McCloud Falls along the way.

Our route was:

Redding → Burney Falls → McCloud Falls → Mount Shasta

There is a faster route from Redding to Mount Shasta along Interstate 5, but Burney Falls and McCloud Falls turned the drive into an entire waterfall morning. We completed both areas by around lunchtime and never felt like we were trying to fit too much into the day.

Burney Falls could also be paired with Lassen Volcanic National Park, although I would give Lassen its own full day rather than trying to squeeze both into one packed itinerary. If you’re planning to visit both, our one-day Lassen Volcanic National Park itinerary covers exactly how we spent our day in the park. 

For us, Burney Falls worked best as a worthwhile stop within a larger Northern California road trip rather than an all-day destination.