The picturesque Burney Falls at the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in northeastern California’s Shasta County is grappling with the consequences of its sudden popularity, transforming a once-quiet park into a crowded and chaotic destination.
The sudden surge in visitors, who are attracted to the falls due to its Instagram-worthy waterfall, has prompted park officials to launch a pilot reservation system to tackle overcrowding and protect the park’s fragile ecosystem.
The thundering 129-foot Burney Falls is the crown jewel of the park and is complemented by several springs emanating from the basalt cliff face, which converge to create a dreamy, misty basin. While the falls were a well-kept secret, their popularity began to increase after the pandemic, especially driven by social media exposure and changing tourism trends.
California State Parks announced it would roll out a reservation system to visit the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park from May 15 through September 27, 2026. Reservations will be required to enter the park only on weekends (Friday through Sunday) and holidays during peak visitation season, according to the announcement.
Park officials said the reservation system will improve visitor safety during the busy summer season, when large crowds can overwhelm the park and its surrounding areas.
“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,” said State Parks Director Armando Quintero.
How Will the Reservations Work?
Reservations for day-use entry must be purchased in advance.
A total of 103 passes will be valid from 8 a.m. through noon; 103 more will be valid from 1 to 5 p.m.; and 35 will be valid for the entire day.
Passes are priced at $10 per vehicle, plus a $1 processing fee.
Seniors and people with disabilities are eligible for discounts, as well as entry for annual pass holders, though reservations will still be mandatory.
Same-day reservations will not be allowed.
Reservations will be capped at one per vehicle per day. Visitors can only bring passenger vehicles that fit in a single standard-size parking space.
Visitors bringing vehicles towing a boat for day-use are also expected to make a reservation, pay for boat launch fees upon arrival at the park, and park their vehicles in the marina day-use lot, which has limited pull-through parking capacity.
Oversized vehicles, vehicles pulling trailers, buses, and RVs are not allowed in the park during the day-use reservation period.
Tour buses and commercial tour groups will also not be allowed in the park without a permit.
Guests who have a campground or cabin reservation do not need to make an additional day-use reservation, as it will be automatically included with the overnight reservation.
Following this summer’s pilot program, California State Parks will assess its effectiveness and make adjustments, if necessary, for future peak visitation periods.
Park Visitation Doubled
Although Burney Falls was one of the oldest and most iconic parks in California, the park’s rural location and relative lack of publicity meant it did not have much visitation in its 100-year history.
The park is located within the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau, with forest and five miles of streamside and lake shoreline.
For several decades, Burney Falls was mostly known as a small, family-oriented park. However, it has transformed into a sensation in the past few years.
Park officials noted that annual visitation has doubled since 2015, endangering the surroundings and creating problems such as increased erosion, damage to fragile vegetation and sacred tribal land, traffic congestion, illegal parking, public safety concerns, and sanitation issues.
The park’s facilities were built in the 1960s and were not designed to handle the current increased visitation levels.
The surge in visitation has led to long queues to enter the park, unsafe traffic conditions on SR 89, extreme overcrowding, long restroom lines, and overflowing trash cans.
In summer 2024, officials had to temporarily close access to the base of Burney Falls for trail restoration to prevent a catastrophic trail failure.
The overcrowding forced the park authorities to intervene with controlled access.
Officials said the reservation system will not only manage crowds, but it will also help protect natural resources.
For a place that was treasured for its quiet natural beauty and charm, the new reservation system is expected to ensure visitors continue to enjoy the beauty without being overwhelmed or damaging the natural heritage.
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