Bound For Burney Falls
To Burney Falls or not to Burney Falls that was the question.
Honestly, we debated this stop even though it was on our route because it was the weekend and weekends usually mean crowds.
In the end we couldn't NOT go and as we turned off highway 89 and into the State Park, we found ourselves in line waiting to pay the entry fee which was $10.
As expected, it was busy, but not as busy as it was rumored to get so we counted that as a win. Still, even though it was not peak season, we circled the parking lot looking for a place to park our behemoth truck many times. Then we circled it again. And again. Eventually we got lucky and found a spot just big enough for us to squeeze into.
After slathering on sunscreen, we made our way down the short fully paved path, the sound of falling water growing louder as we got closer.
I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly, but seeing it in real life surpassed everything I had imagined and then some.
After the short walk down to the overlook we got our first glimpse of the waterfall and immediately knew we had made the right choice to brave the crowds.
Some 129 feet tall, Burney Falls is most certainly not the largest waterfall we’ve ever seen but it’s entirely possible that it’s the most spectacular!
Nestled in a forest of tall evergreen trees, the frigid 42 degree water merges with the springs that are at and below Burney Falls, joining forces to pour down the face of fern and moss covered lava and basalt rock before plunging into the 22ft deep, mist filled pool below at a force of around 100 million gallons every day.
That’s a lot of water!
After making our way down the paved downhill path, we found ourselves at the base of Burney Falls which was surrounded by mass of tourists who were climbing over boulders down the rocky shore attempting to get as close to the waterfall as possible.
We were in California and the sun was out and temperatures were rapidly rising so the people were quite eager to reach the cooling mist that rose off the turbulent blue water.
It was LOUD but oddly calming in the way only a roaring waterfall can be. The air was mostly hot and dry despite the swirling mist that was brought on by the force of the colliding waters as they came together. The sight of the surrounding forest completed the picture perfect moment and the sharp tangy scent of pine needles punctuated the wet earthy smell that always comes when water meets land.
Despite the mass of people, it made for a calming and relaxing environment that we could have enjoyed for hours if not for the impatience of young children who were ready to move on.
We took the Falls Loop Trail which was an easy 1.5 mile hike that would eventually lead us back to the tiny parking lot where our adventure had started.
The boys weren’t thrilled at how long it took to hike a mile and a half, Atlas especially, but they somehow survived the long (to them) trek back to the truck.
We stopped at the visitor center for more information about the park and learned that Burney Falls got its name from a pioneer settler named Samuel Burney who lived in the area in the 1850s.
The McArthur family were also pioneer settlers who arrived in the late 19th century and it was descendants of both families who ultimately bought the property in the 1920s, saving the waterfall and surrounding land from future development. They later gifted the land to the State of California and it officially became McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in 1926.
The boys loved the educational displays in the interpretive area of the visitor center, especially the hands on displays which included microscopes with various slides and a simulation for how the waterfall got its water.
After we left the visitor center, in search of bathrooms (because the hawk has none- more on that later) we came across the general store which advertised soft serve ice cream cones and that prospect brought new life to our weary little hikers.
With ice cream, all things are possible!
Fully re-energized by sugary goodness, we finished the remaining distance back to the parking lot in record time and loaded back up into the RamHawk to find our next adventure.
Pulling out of the tight parking spot was its own kind of adventure but we managed it without issue and bid the beautiful Burney Falls goodbye, feeling thankful that we had taken the risk and made the stop.
As if pictures weren't proof enough, they say that Theodore Roosevelt himself once referred to Burney Falls as the “eighth wonder of the world” and now having seen it with our own eyes, we coudn’t agree more!
By now you probably know that waterfalls are kind of our thing and through the years we've chased more than our fair share but I still think Burney Falls will go down in history as one of the best.
It was beauty beyond words.
