9   Burney Falls

From Falls Loop Trail

Location: Burney, McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park, Shasta County Height: 129 ft. Access:               Distance: 1 mile (loop) or 2.4 miles (loop) Elevation: 2900 ft. (+/- 200 ft.) Season: year-round Difficulty: Lat/Long:41.01083, -121.65167 Directions:Along Hwy #89, at McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park, near Burney. From Hwy #299 junction 5 miles east of Burney, turn north on Hwy #89 and drive 5.9 miles to park entrance. There is a $8 parking fee.

Burney Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in northern California and is very pretty. The best part about this waterfall, however, is that it flows year-round, one of the very few waterfalls in California that has good flow throughout the year. That is because the source of Burney Creek is from underground springs, located about a half mile or so above the falls. Indeed, if you look closely, you will see that much of the falls comes right out of the middle of the face of the cliff. So if you are in California and are anxious to see a waterfall and it is the middle of the winter, then Burney Falls is the one to see when all the others have long since stopped flowing.

You have a few options at Burney Falls. You can drive up and park at the falls overlook after paying your $6 fee. You must at least, however, take a walk down to the base of the falls for a close-up view of this tremendous waterfall. The recommended trail is a 2.4 mile (loop) hike along the Headwaters Trail following Burney Creek away from the waterfall. This joins up with the Pacific Crest Trail going back downstream towards the falls. This trail then joins up with the Falls Loop Trail which leads to an overlook of the waterfall. The Falls Loop Trail continues along near the base of the waterfall, with many great viewpoints, then goes back up to the parking lot.

The official height of Burney Falls is listed at 129 ft. high. However, I question that height. My measurement of the waterfall was only 99 ft. high, and I do not think I was too far off in my readings. Once again, I wonder who measured the waterfalls height and how?

Note: The Falls Loop trail is closed for construction until Oct. 2010.

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Other waterfalls nearby:

Pit River Falls	9.75 miles
Lion Wash Falls	14.93 miles
Lion Slide Falls	15.94 miles
Little Roaring Creek Falls	17.08 miles
Hatchet Creek Falls	18.02 miles
Roaring Creek Falls	18.07 miles
Montgomery Creek Falls	18.88 miles
Lost Creek Falls	21.69 miles
Cedar Creek Falls	22.87 miles
Potem Falls	23.21 miles
Upper McCloud Falls	24.74 miles
Middle McCloud Falls	24.85 miles
Lower McCloud Falls	25.48 miles
Squaw Valley Creek Falls	28.29 miles

Shasta Cascade

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