Hiking the Burney Falls Loop Trail in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, California
Distance: 1.1 miles / 1.8 km
The Burney Falls Loop Trail in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park of northern California is a short and easy day hike that traverses both sides of Burney Creek, offering visitors beautiful and unique views of the waterfall and the greater area throughout entire the hike!
That said, the vast majority of those who visit Burney Falls do not hike the full 1.1-mile (1.8 km) loop. Instead, most visitors only walk the first 0.3 miles (0.5 km) out and back to the base of Burney Falls.
For this reason, the full Burney Falls Loop Trail can be a great way to escape the crowds that gather on the first part of the trail and at the bottom of Burney Falls, as the remaining 0.8 miles (1.3 km) are much quieter and more relaxing in comparison!
Burney Falls Loop Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Burney Falls Loop Trail is located in one of a few very small lots inside the state park.
On that note, I want to highlight the word small, because parking can be a challenge to find—especially during the busy summer travel season, since Burney Falls is such a popular destination between both Lassen Volcanic and Crater Lake National Park.
Furthermore, be aware that there is a small entrance fee to enter McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, but if you arrive early, be sure to pay the fee at one of the kiosks near the trailhead in order to avoid receiving a ticket on your vehicle.
Google Maps Directions: Burney Falls Loop Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Northern California
Black Bears can be found across Northern California, but encountering one on the Burney Falls Loop Trail would be exceptionally rare.
That said, here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in northern California.
Hiking the Burney Falls Loop Trail
The Burney Falls Loop Trail begins at the trailhead adjacent to the Burney Falls Visitor Center.
Burney Falls Loop Trail
Following the trailhead, the loop splits almost immediately, with most hikers opting to go right, toward the base of Burney Falls first.
This is the route toward the base of Burney Falls.
At this split, go left to begin a roughly 140 ft. (43 m) descent to the bottom of Burney Falls.
These are the only two sets of stairs on the east side of the Burney Falls Loop Trail.
In total, there are only two switchbacks on the most popular side of the loop to reach Burney Falls.
It doesn’t take long for the views of Burney Falls to open up after the first switchback!
This upper viewpoint is one of the best places to take photos of Burney Falls—especially considering how busy the rocks around the base of the pool can be at certain times of the day.
Burney Falls
According to the California State Parks, Burney Falls measures 129 ft. (39 m) tall, with a pool depth of about 22 ft. (6.7 m).
Once here, visitors can explore the area around the pool at the base of Burney Falls, but be careful—the rocks can be very slippery if they are wet from the waterfall or rain.
After Burney Falls, the Burney Falls Loop Trail continues down Burney Creek toward a bridge that crosses over to the other side, about 0.2 miles (0.3 km) away.
This is when the Burney Falls Loop Trail becomes noticeably less busy, compared to the beginning sections leading up to the waterfall.
After hiking 0.2 miles (0.3 km) from the waterfall, the Burney Falls Loop Trail crosses over to the west side of Burney Creek, where the trail begins the ascent back to the top shortly thereafter.
On the west side of Burney Creek, the Burney Falls Loop makes this hard left turn where the trail begins a roughly 170-ft. (52 m) ascent back up to the trailhead and parking area.
Even though the west side of the Burney Falls Loop climbs for the majority of the hike back to the beginning, the trail is never all that steep.
In fact, the elevation change on this side of the loop feels much more gradual compared to the beginning.
These two back-to-back switchbacks are the only ones on this side of the Burney Falls Loop Trail.
Shortly after the second switchback, the Burney Falls Loop Trail levels out significantly just before reaching the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) junction and the bridge back over to the other side of the creek.
Burney Falls Loop-Pacific Crest (PCT) Junction
Just before the Burney Falls Loop crosses back over Burney Creek, the trail passes this connection with the Pacific Crest Trail.
That said, go left to stay on the Burney Falls Loop Trail.
On a different note, it’s not uncommon to see PCT hikers at Burney Falls, depending on the time of year. These photos were taken near the end of July, and there were thru-hikers hanging out near the base of the falls—which I mention because they can be fun to talk to!
Everyone has a story, and talking to thru-hikers can be one of the best ways to learn more about the incredible people who do it and why!
When crossing back over Burney Creek, I recommend looking upstream to appreciate the amount of water that makes Burney Falls what we all know and love!
I say this because Burney Creek is not fed by snowmelt. Instead, all this water comes from a spring just 0.6 miles (1.0 km) upstream, meaning that everything beyond that is often completely dry—especially during the beautiful summer and fall months.
After reaching the top of the hill on the east side of Burney Creek, the trail simply continues to the left, where it will parallel Burney Creek and the park entrance road back to the trailhead.
Burney Falls Loop Junction
This is where the Burney Falls Loop Trail returns to the beginning of the loop.
From here, go right to return to the trailhead and first parking area near the visitor center, or go straight to continue to the parking lots near the general store.
