mcarthur-burney falls memorial state park

mcarthur-burney falls memorial state park印象

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  Califdan69

  Burney Falls is located in MacArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park near the town of Burney in North Eastern California. This is a very nice state park with forest camping, cabins for rent, a decent size lake that can take motor boats, and of course the waterfall along with a very lovely valley with the river flowing through from the falls to the lake. We visited in early September this year (2014), which in Northern California is the 3rd year of the worst drought the state has seen in recorded history. Our expectation for how much water there’d be going over the falls was quite low. We pretty much figured that it would be a mere trickle compared to the photos I’d seen.Well, it seems that Burney Falls is for the most part drought proof. Even at the end of the summer in this major drought the falls were in full flow. After reading a few signs I came to understand that the bulk of the water volume comes from underground springs rather than surface water (direct rain or snowfall). In other words it’s fed from an underground aquifer which tend not to be as affected by droughts measured in years or perhaps even decades. However, if the climate changes and we go for many decades or centuries with diminished rain, then all bets are off. Although you can’t see the actual falls from the parking lot, the first overlook of the falls is only about 100 yards from the parking lot on level paved trail. The parking lot and this first overlook are at the height of the top of the falls. From here you can take the asphalt trail down into the canyon to the base of the falls. You can see the falls from this entire path and there is a viewing area about halfway down and another at the bottom. This path is about ¼ mile to the base of the falls and descends about 130 feet (which you’ll have to come back up) and is part of the Falls Loop Trail. After you get to the bottom by the base of the falls you can continue down stream, cross a foot bridge to the other side of the river (sorry you can’t see the falls from this bridge), then ascend the other side of the canyon. On this far side of the canyon there’s only one very small view of the falls. Once you arrive at the top of this trail you’ll continue a little bit upstream from the top of the falls where there’s a foot bridge back to parking lot side from which you can return to the parking lot.In the summer, once you get a bit down into the canyon on the paved path, the air temperature drops dramatically. In fact even on hot summer days, it can be quite chilly down by the base of the falls.The falls themselves are 129ft tall with a 22 foot deep pool at the bottom and a water temp of 42 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit. The water flow is 100 million gallons per day making it one of the most voluminous in the state – no Niagara Falls by any stretch of the imagination, but pretty impressive for the arid west. The water coming over the top from Burney Creek forms two channels as it comes over the crest of the falls. On the cliff face behind and to both sides of the main twin falls are hundreds of springs that have water flowing from them adding to the overall volume and size of the waterfall. These springs span a distance of over 250 feet wide and add almost a curtain of water behind and to the sides of the two main columns of falling water. Quite impressive.PHOTOGRAPHING BURNEY FALLSThe cliff the falls go over Faces North and is rarely in the sun. At the summer solstice in late June you may get a bit of sun on the falls but not so much to make it of any use in photography. However sun dues hit the pool at the bottom of the falls throughout much of the day. In the mornings you can get some rainbows in the mist above the pool at the base of the falls. The falls themselves are always in shadow. But the top of the cliff they come over is pretty much in full sun all day and the pool at the bottom is usually partially in sun and partially in shade. This makes photographing it a bit of a challenge. Try to minimize the amount of sunny areas and sky in your photo so the exposure will only have to deal with the shady areas – including the falls themselves and the cliff face that are in the shade. Aim low so that overly bright sky is not in the shot, or if it is there isn’t much of it. If you have an overcast day or are using a split neutral density filter you may have less of a problem. Also be aware of the sunny patch of rocks on the far side of the falls near it’s base as the contrast between that sunny section and the shady falls will be hard for the camera to deal with. You can mitigate some of this in good post processing software if you have the data in your image (i.e. shoot in RAW rather than JPG – but that’s a whole other story).In addition to capturing the full scale of the falls, zoom in on smaller sections such as a vertical of just the two main flows or a small portion of the springs coming out of the cliff face. On the right side of the falls (as you face it) the springs drop onto a diagonal shoulder of rock rather than directly into the pool. After hitting this shoulder the water flows down the into the pool and on the way makes interesting criss-cross patterns than can make for interesting photos if you can zoom in enough. This is a great waterfall to experiment with slow shutter speeds to make the dropping water more silky in appearance which is a wonderful technique used by many fine art photographers.. To do this you’ll need a tripod to keep the camera still for the longer exposures (all the way up to 10 seconds). If you have a tripod with you, try a lot of different shutter speeds for different effects. For the falls themselves I found the going slower than 10 seconds didn’t make much difference compared to 10 seconds. Also try the slower shutter speeds on the river itself to make it silky. If you found this information useful in your decision making process, you gleaned information you may not have otherwise discovered, or you just enjoyed reading it and appreciate the time I put into writing it, please give me a "helpful" vote. You’re welcome to contact me through danhartfordphoto dot com (where you can see photos of my travels) or through the “Ask Caifdan69 about .........” button at the bottom of this review

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  Cali4niaMermaid

  Gorgeous falls with beautiful and clean location for camping. Found this great spot when looking for an area to rest on the way to Reno. Turned out to be a treasure in the woods. There is a small store and welcome center. The bathrooms were individual and very clean. A must stop!

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  MaggieMay1947

  The most amazing waterfalls... easy walking path through the park, great for camping as well. day trip hiking in the forest, well marked paths

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  StevenC493

  We spent the morning hiking around McCloud River and Falls, and then drove east on 89 to Burney Falls. There is no doubt that this is a beautiful waterfall. From the upper vista point you have a clear view of where the river gathers in a broad dish before spilling over the edge. There is a fairly easy (slightly steep) path down to the river across from the bottom of the falls where you can look straight at the falls, which truly are breathtaking. I thought that the falls spilled in 2 or 3 cascades, but learned later that in addition to the falls, there are 2 springs that pour out the wall and join the falls- makes for quite the show. It was overcast when we were there, but I imagine when the angle of the sun is right there must be incredible rainbows.Alas, the place is very popular. The huge parking lot (entry fee required) was packed, and there were even a couple of tour buses :( There was a constant stream of people going up and down the trail, and people jostling for views at the prime vantage points. Everyone was polite, but it was a swarm. We were there on Presidents' Day weekend though, so maybe it's not always so crowded.

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  kennya514

  BURNEY CA USA went here a few years ago near a lake were you can swim small beach ,wooded walks camping and the burney falls ,I think its were they filmed the first Tarzen movie with johnny Weissmuller in the 30s but dont quote me on that lol Half a day drive to Reno Nevada from here ,Motels about 4 miles away in the town , Parking fee only

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  heidi379

  We camped here for the first time last weekend. It's amazing! The falls are beautiful, the loop trail is fun, the lake is gorgeous, and the campground is very nice. The campground was very clean, especially for the end of the season. Sometimes, by October, campgrounds are trashed and looking like they need some major cleanup and repairs during the off-season. Not here! It's kept super clean. The campsites are spaced out nicely, so you don't feel too close to your neighbors.There are flush toilets and showers available. The campground store is well stocked.We happened to be here for the "Heritage Day" event. It was very interesting.On a side-note, there is not cell service (at least for us Verizon customers). You can drive a few miles up the road and get service if you need to make a call. I actually found it refreshing not to have service. It forced us to have more quality family time. If you must get your facebook fix :-) they do offer free wi-fi at the store.

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  marksM7696BO

  A very beautiful waterfall to see and experience. Lots of people come visit it. It truly is a Natural Beauty worth the drive to visit.Everyone who sees it loves it.

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  masons631

  The water fall was extremely breath taking. Had snow around which made it even better. This is a must see if you are in the area.

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  Danvillme

  Trails are for able-bodied folks, but even most active people can see satisfactorily. Beautiful vistas, sounds, and a lot to see in a weekend if it is all you have for time.

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  JoeandCheri

  This State Park is one of the natural wonders in the Northstate and is a very popular park because of the natural falls, camping, hiking, special events, store facilities, photo opportunities, swimming at an adjoining lake and plenty of parking.