Due to overpopulation, California officials are now demanding reservations in order to visit the “crown jewel” of the state park system.
California State Parks said on Friday that weekends and holidays during peak season will require reservations for visitors to Shasta County’s famous McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.
Once dubbed the “eighth wonder of the world” by President Theodore Roosevelt, the stunning 129-foot falls reopened last year following comprehensive $835,000 in “critical” repairs due to a spike in tourists.
“The goals of this new day-use reservation system, which will not be required Monday-Thursday, are to alleviate the strain on the park’s resources and infrastructure, and to improve visitor safety during the busiest summer days, when large crowds often overwhelm the park and the surrounding area,” the state parks department stated. The pilot program will require reservations for visits on Friday through Sunday and holidays during the peak visitation season, starting Friday, May 15, through Sunday, September 27.
The park will provide 103 parking passes that are good from 8 a.m. to noon, another 103 tickets that are good from 1 to 5 p.m., and 35 passes that are good all day. Each vehicle will cost $10, plus a $1 processing fee.
According to State Parks Director Armando Quintero, “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.”
We can assist control crowds and avoid overstretching the park’s resources by letting guests make reservations in advance. As we collaborate to improve the visitor experience and contribute to the preservation of this famous location for future generations, I appreciate our guests’ understanding.
During peak season, reservations are required for weekends and holidays at Shasta County’s famous McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.
State officials are implementing a trial program that requires reservations for visits on Friday through Sunday and holidays during the busiest visiting season in an attempt to lessen the effects of crowding.
The department of the state park reports that yearly visitors to the falls have about doubled since 2015.
The inflow is “pushing the park beyond a sustainable capacity and creating a host of problems, including an increase in erosion, damage to sensitive vegetation and sacred tribal land, traffic backups, illegal parking, public safety concerns, and sanitation issues.”
In addition to creating dangerous traffic conditions on State Route (SR) 89, it has caused long lineups to access the park and occasionally resulted in two-hour traffic jams.
Burney Falls, which has only about 3,000 residents, is located in the Cascade foothills about 4.5 hours from San Francisco.
The waterfall used to attract about 250,000 people annually during peak season, which runs from April to October. However, after the Covid-19 outbreak, that number increased to 350,000.
On the internet, locals and park visitors disagreed, with some believing that charging for reservations would help reduce the number of visitors.
“Well done!” One Facebook user commented, “It was probably a good idea, but there were far too many day visitors flooding the site when others are camping trying to enjoy the falls and lake.” People park near the highway when the lots are full, which can be dangerous. A second participant remarked, “Not to mention having to navigate through a thousand people on the trails.”
Since 2015, the number of visitors to the falls has almost doubled annually, which has caused long lineups to access the park and often resulted in dangerous driving conditions.
Once referred to as the “eighth wonder of the world” by President Theodore Roosevelt, the stunning 129-foot falls reopened last year after a spike in visitors necessitated costly $835,000 in “critical” repairs.
It’s unfortunate that the selfie throngs are trashing and destroying this lovely location. There used to be only me. It’s a terrible crowd scene now. “Very depressing,” wrote a third.
“This is frustrating, but also necessary to keep the impact of irresponsible tourists in check,” said a fourth participant.
Others worried that the reservation system would negatively affect locals and make it more difficult for visitors to see the falls.
“This is a really bad idea.” To see the park, people come from all over. There will now likely be a waiting list for a year. One user said, “Poor planning, California! With all the taxes we pay, you’d think the State Parks would be able to operate without inconveniencing the people who actually PAY to keep them open!” Another said, “The people own State Parks.”
“Well, first the trails were closed when we went and now this,” wrote a third person. It’s safe to assume that we won’t likely return. There will still be a lot of folks who don’t pay attention or do their homework before attending. A fourth person said, “This is a terrible ideal. For the local businesses that depend on the tourists who come for quick day trips, we will definitely be affected. Instead, you’re going to have people with no reservation or any idea they need one still clogging up the queue to get in and then having to turn around to leave.” A fifth remarked, “Other parks have tried this and seen a steep decline in day visitors.”
