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Burney Falls State ParkBurney Falls was once described as the "eighth wonder of the world" by Teddy Roosevelt. Although we won't go that far, we do agree that Burney Falls is probably one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the United States. It only falls 129 feet, but shoves through a massive 100 million gallons of water a day. The elevation of the park is 3,100 feet and temperatures range from the 20's-90's. One of the neatest things about this waterfall is the water that seeps through the rocks. This happens because during the winter, water that is in the rock, freezes, and expands the rock around it, making it an escape during the spring and summer months. This in turn makes Burney Falls that much more impressive during the spring time when water flow is at its highest.
Many family vacation getaways to Northern California forego this area because they don't want to make the extra effort to drive up the winding road of HWY 299 from Redding to Burney Falls. We think this place is a worthy site to see because of several reasons: 1. During the winter/spring months of Jan-March, Burney falls is a popular nesting grounds for Bald Eagles. For this reason along, you should highly consider seeing our national bird in the wild. If this doesn't intrigue you, the other wildlife may: numerous bird species, and many mammals like deer, coyotes, fox, and mountain lions-although these are rare.
2. The recreation on the lake makes this a popular destination for Northern Californian families to come and spend a weekend or holiday boating, fishing, and camping. There are 128 family camping sites, unfortunately no hookups, so bring your tent or pop-up camper/trailer. It is not usually that difficult to get a site here, although Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day are extremely busy. The best time to visit is during the spring and fall, because the crowds are minimal and the vegetation colors are at their best. Many families come to go canoeing, paddle boating or fishing. We suggest that if you plan to do this, you reserve a boat slip in advance, so you can avoid the mess of putting your boat in and out each day. Call 530-335-5713 for more information. The other form of recreation is to enjoy the hiking trails around the park, although they aren't many, they are very scenic and you can almost be guaranteed to see some form of wildlife along the way. And lastly, for the family that can't be without Wi-Fi, there is an AT&T hotspot at the visitor center. 3. Heritage Day is a great time to visit Burney Falls, because it is celebrated with many demonstrations and activities typical of that which you would see in the late 1800's. The day celebrated on Oct. 12th (Columbus Day), is a great opportunity for your family to enjoy some of the history of locals who lived around Burney Falls, and natives who have cultivated the area for thousands of years.
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