If you have a list of places that are must see, then you know about McArthur-Burney Falls. If you didn’t hear about it yet, prepare yourself to see the one more California Wonder.
Somewhere between Shasta and Lassen, there is a jewel of the California’s part of Cascades.

The first section of the name falls get from Frank, and Scott McArthur purchased
160 acres surrounding the falls to preserve this piece of land from PG&E. Locals were afraid that PG&E, very active in this region in that time would dam the Pit River and eventually destroy Burney Falls.
In 1920 McArthur brothers deeded the property to the State. The land officially became a state park in 1926. The Pit River, by the way, was dammed later and the Pit 3 dam formed the Lake Britton reservoir.
The second name is more prosaic. Pioneer Samuel Burney of South Carolina settled and died in the area in 1859.

The falls were called “the Eighth Wonder of the World” by President Theodore Roosevelt.


Earlier this year I booked a cabin in the park. So it was easy for us to visit falls two times – on sunset and during sunrise.
The park has the huge campground with the dozen of wooden cabins. But we were the only awoke to sunrise, and it was an unforgettable experience!
We hiked to the falls. I expected to do short Falls Loop hike, but the bridge and the part of the trail near it were closed because of the winter damage.
On the way back to the cabin I observed how the sun slowly moves up.

The last thing we did in the park is a stop near the Lake Britton. With a small marina and sand beach, it’s a good place to be on the hot summer day.