Sometimes beauty is a burden.
Such is the case with Burney Falls, a Northern California waterfall whose beauty became such a siren song for Instagram's costumed mermaids, selfie-taking TikTok tour guides, and off-the-beaten-path hikers that the crowds grew and grew, until the natural wonder simply couldn't take it anymore.
In recent years, crowds have damaged trails, trampled plants and blocked rural roads.
Now, as part of a pilot program to reduce overcrowding, the California Department of Parks and Recreation will require advance reservations to visit the Shasta County waterfall on many days this summer.
“Burney Falls is a crown jewel of the California State Park System, and we want all visitors to have an enjoyable and memorable experience visiting this unique destination,” State Parks Director Armando Quintero said in a statement. “By allowing visitors to make a reservation in advance, we can help keep crowds manageable and not stretch park resources beyond the limit.”
Reservations, which can be purchased online, will be required to visit the falls Friday through Sunday and on holidays during peak visiting season, May 15 to September 27.
On those days, McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park will offer 103 parking passes from 8 a.m. to noon, an additional 103 passes from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 35 all-day passes.
Day-use passes will cost $11 per vehicle, according to State Parks, with discounts for seniors and people with disabilities.
California State Parks Annual Passholders will not pay any additional fees, but will need to make reservations. Visitors with overnight camp or cabin reservations will not need additional day-use passes.
The 129-foot waterfall, a sweeping curtain of white water cascading from a basalt cliff, generates its own rainbow and was once dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Visitors often have to wait in long lines to take a selfie at Burney Falls. Here, Rachel Brussbau poses with her 1-year-old daughter, Sage, and Crysten Michol in July 2023.
(Paul Kuroda / For The Times)
But for much of its history, it “experienced limited visitation due to its rural location … and lack of publicity,” the State Parks department said in a statement.
“For generations of visitors, it had a reputation as a small, family-friendly park and one of California's best-kept secrets,” the department said. “However, over the last decade, and especially with the growth of social media, that secret is now world famous.”
Crowds increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, when indoor public spaces were closed.
A State Parks spokesperson told The Times in an email Monday that in 2015, Burney Falls had 121,495 visitors. The numbers “have risen steadily since then, peaking at 322,192 visitors in 2020 during the pandemic,” the spokesperson said.
Since then, about 220,000 people have visited the park each year.
The spokesperson said the numbers represent only people who enter through the official entrance and not those who park illegally on the side of the road and enter off the road.
Because so many people have strayed from established trails, the park has experienced increased erosion and damage to sensitive vegetation and sacred tribal lands in recent years, according to the State Parks department. Heavy traffic and illegal parking have also created unsafe conditions along State Highway 89, one of the heavily forested county's main thoroughfares and a critical fire evacuation route.
“Campers with reservations are hesitant to leave the park, knowing it can take up to two hours to re-enter on busy days,” the department's statement read.
Due to limited parking, the gates are typically closed for several hours each day.
“If they are lucky enough to be able to enter, visitors inside the park will encounter extreme overcrowding, long lines for bathrooms, and overflowing trash cans instead of a peaceful, rejuvenating experience at one of the country's most impressive natural monuments,” State Parks said.
In the summer of 2024, State Parks closed all access to the waterfall for the season to repair trails and slopes damaged by large crowds and storm erosion.
The department said it will evaluate the day-use reservation system at the end of the summer and make adjustments if necessary for future peak visitation periods.
State Sen. Megan Dahle (R-Bieber), whose district includes Shasta County, said the pilot program “is likely to disrupt some travel” until word gets out.
“Unfortunately, it has been clear for several years that something needs to change in Burney Falls,” Dahle said. “I hope this is an interim measure on the way to longer-term solutions to accommodate visitors.”
