Burney Falls Bubbles with Fall Color

President Teddy Roosevelt described Burney Falls as the “eighth wonder of the world,” and with good reason.

Burney Falls is constantly fed by an underground stream that flows at a rate of 379 million liters a day (imagine that in terms of soda bottles).

The water permeates through and flows over a 129-foot tall wall of rock that is covered with lush green ferns.

The pool below the falls (a waterfall is one drop, falls are many) has every imaginable blue in it (indigo, cerulean, cobalt, turquoise) and the wall in autumn is topped with vivid orange, yellow and lime colors.

Color spotter Clayton Peoples was there this past weekend to report the scene “sported great colors.”

He wrote, “At McArthur-Burney Falls State Park, the black oak trees are turning yellow, orange, and rusty red. There are some that have already reached peak color–for instance, those along Burney Creek just above where it plunges down the Falls. Elsewhere, though, the leaves are only beginning to change.

“At Lassen Volcanic National Park, willows along Manzanita Lake range from Peak to Past Peak, and the grasses and other ground shrub have turned a nice golden hue. It’s unclear how long the color will last there, so I would recommend that folks GO NOW! before color disappears and winter weather settles in.”

The Shasta Cascade region is now a go-to destination to find great fall color, with Plumas County, Lassen Volcanic and Burney Falls at Peak.

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park – Near Peak (50-75%) GO NOW!

Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!