Reservations to be required at Burney Falls, California's '8th wonder of the world'

May 1-In an effort to quell extreme overcrowding at Burney Falls, the 129-foot waterfall that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to its remote Shasta County location each year, California State Parks announced it will now require reservations for summer dates at McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.

The pilot system will require visitors to obtain a reservation to enter the park on weekends and holidays from May 15 to Sept. 27, the park's peak visitation period, according to a California State Parks news release Friday. Visitors must purchase a reservation in advance via LAZ Parking. A reservation will be $10 per vehicle, with a 55-cent processing fee, State Parks said.

Burney Falls is the main landmark at the park. It was famously referred to by President Theodore Roosevelt as "the eighth wonder of the world."

The shift to require reservations was made after years of overcrowding at the waterfall, an issue that at one point necessitated a nine-month closure of the main trail. The large numbers of visitors caused erosion in the falls area and "damage to sensitive vegetation and sacred tribal land, traffic backups, illegal parking, public safety concerns and sanitation issues," the State Parks news release said.

Additionally, "If lucky enough to gain entry, visitors inside the park are met with extreme overcrowding, long restroom lines, and overflowing trash cans instead of a peaceful, rejuvenating experience at one of the nation's most awe-inspiring natural landmarks," the news release said. "To avoid crowds, off-trail use increased to such a level that the park was forced to close access to the base of Burney Falls during summer 2024 to complete a trail restoration project to prevent a catastrophic trail failure."

During the pilot of the day-use reservation system, 35 full-day passes will be released per day, the release said. An additional 103 passes will be valid from 8:00 a.m. until noon, and another 103 passes will be valid from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guests with a campground or cabin reservation within the park will not need to make an additional day-use reservation.

California State Parks intends to run the pilot program throughout this summer, then evaluate its efficacy in order to prepare for future seasons.

"Burney Falls is a crown jewel of the California State Park System, and we want all visitors to have an enjoyable and memorable experience when visiting this one-of-a-kind destination," State Parks Director Armando Quintero said in the release. "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. I thank our guests for their understanding as we work together to create a better visitor experience while helping to preserve this iconic place for generations to come."

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 7:07 PM.