McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park
Wheelchair accessible hikes and campgrounds
Driving to and sleeping at a campground
A comfy campout with 2 to 5 mile hikes
Perfect for families with young kiddos
Trip · 3-day camping trip
For · Friends and new campers
Vibe · Relaxing and chill
Reservations · Yes, reserve an ADA site at Rim Campground (#1, #3, #23, #27, #30, #47, and #51)
Drive · 4.5 hours from SF
Ideal dates · May to September
Pets · Welcome at camp, but not on trails
The star of McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park (BFSP) is its 129-foot high namesake: Burney Falls. People flock from all over to witness this natural wonder, which never fails to disappoint, but the park does get packed over summer weekends. Avoid the crowds by reserving a mid-week campsite and visiting the falls around 7 AM. As they say, early birds get Burney Falls for themselves!
Main image credit: Gracie Emory
Each ADA campsite comes with a:
Rim Campground is located between Burney Falls and Lake Britton, an under-rated highlight within the park. Unlike Pioneer campground, Rim is located closer to the falls. The campground also has ADA cabins (#59 and #62), RV, and tent campsites (#1, #3, #23, #27, #30, #47, and #51). There's a general store, accessible restrooms and token-operated showers. Sites can be reserved up to six months advance for peak summer months, and are first-come, first-serve between Labor Day and mid-May.
Check-in: After 2 PM · Check-out: 12 PM
Quiet hours: 10 PM to 6 AM
Nightly Rate: $35
Burney Falls is named after Samuel Burney, who died in 1859. The McArthurs bought and later gifted the waterfall to the state in 1920.
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The Ilmawi were the first group of people to live near the falls. Today, they're part of the Pit River Tribe.
Burney Falls is one of the few known nesting sites for the Black Swift. You can often spot them soaring around the waterfalls
You won't be saving money, but you'll save space and weight with these camp sandals.
Clothes
Sleepover! This is a tent you can stand up in and have plenty of space for air mattresses, doggos, and more.
Shared Gear
A reliable, popular, and relatively affordable dual-burner camping stove that is fairly heavy, but performs well.
Kitchen
It's pricey, but the New York Times' Wirecutter recommended this attachment as a way for wheelchair users to navigate uneven terrain.
Essential Items
Instead of transporting stuff on your lap, use this storage bag to easily store items underneath your wheelchair.
Essential Items
Never dig around your pack to find some hand sanitizer. Instead, hang this one on the outside of your pack.
Personal Stuff
If you're an experienced backpacker, this is the lightest full-size, full-featured, frameless pack made.
Essential Items
Add a little magic to your experience by hanging these twinkling lights around your tent every night.
Shared Gear
Sometimes you just want a camp chair that gets the job done. Nothing glamorous or fancy. Well, this is it.
Shared Gear
The more you backpack the lighter your shelter becomes, and the lighter it is, the more expensive it can be.
Shared Gear
Camp underneath the stars and watch glorious sunrises in Joshua Tree National Park, the second largest national park in California.
