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.
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