California Caps Access to Burney Falls with Reservations to Curb Overcrowding

Surging crowds at one of California's best-kept secrets have forced officials to cap access to Burney Falls with a new reservation system.

The waterfalls sit in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in Shasta County, about 60 miles northeast of Redding. Burney Falls flows year-round, even in droughts, with water pouring directly from volcanic rock cliffs. Theodore Roosevelt once called it the "Eighth Wonder of the World," according to SFGate.

State parks officials launched a pilot program on May 15 to limit access until Sept. 27 and ease overcrowding. The park allows only 241 vehicles per day during the program.

Burney Falls avoided overtourism in the past due to its rural spot in northeastern California and low profile, a May 1 California State Parks statement said. "For generations of visitors, it had the reputation of a small, family-oriented park and one of California’s best-kept secrets."

"However, over the past decade, and especially with the growth of social media, that secret is now world-famous."

Annual visitors have roughly doubled since 2015, pushing the park beyond sustainable capacity. Problems include environmental damage, traffic backups, illegal parking, safety concerns and sanitation issues.

Reservations are required Fridays through Sundays. Visitors book day-use spots in advance for morning, afternoon or full-day parking at $10 per vehicle. Same-day bookings are not allowed, and all visitors, including annual pass holders, must reserve ahead.

"Oversized vehicles, vehicles pulling other types of trailers, buses and recreational vehicles are not allowed in the park during the day-use reservation period," the statement said. Tour buses and commercial groups need pre-approved permits.

The program seeks to reduce overcrowding impacts, ease strain on resources and infrastructure, and boost visitor safety on busy summer days. It also prevents turnaways when the park hits capacity on weekends.

State Parks Director Armando Quintero called Burney Falls "a crown jewel of the California State Park System."

"We want all visitors to have an enjoyable and memorable experience when visiting this one-of-a-kind destination," he said. "By allowing visitors to make a reservation in advance, we can help keep crowds manageable and not push the park’s resources past the breaking point."