This Beloved California State Park Requires Reservations For The First Time

California has an abundance of natural beauty, much of which can be seen at its 280 state parks. For many of these parks, visitors who drive in must pay an entrance fee, while those arriving on foot or by bicycle can often enter for free. In most cases, access is available whenever the park is open. But as of summer 2026, that's changed for visits to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park. The California State Parks announced a new timed entry reservation requirement for visits to this popular park starting in 2026 on "Friday [to] Sunday and holidays during peak visitation season, starting Friday, May 15, through Sunday, Sept. 27."

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park is in Northern California about a 90-minute drive northeast of Redding on the eastern side of the Cascade Range. The 129-foot-tall waterfall and the misty, cold pool at the base are the centerpiece of the park, which President Theodore Roosevelt reportedly called the "eighth wonder of the world." Given its relatively remote location, it might at first seem like a surprising destination to require a timed entry reservation. However, increased visibility for the park, driven by factors like social media, has brought crowds to the area, and it's proven to be overwhelming for its infrastructure.

Over 200,000 people have visited this park each year since the COVID pandemic, which is about twice as many as were visiting before 2010. Requiring reservations on busy summer weekends and holidays should make things more enjoyable for park visitors. This pilot program may help reduce long lines, make parking easier, and allow for cleaner facilities, like toilets. It should also benefit the park itself, as the news release noted that with more people, the park has seen "an increase in erosion [and] damage to sensitive vegetation and sacred tribal land."

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park is joining places around the world trying to combat overtourism for popular travel destinations while still allowing some visitors. "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," said State Parks Director Armando Quintero in the press release for the new policy. "By allowing visitors to make a reservation in advance, we can help keep crowds manageable and not push the park's resources past the breaking point."

Visitors must reserve either a morning, afternoon, or all-day entry pass for visits on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from May 15 through September. The morning and afternoon sessions have 103 passes available, and there are 35 full-day passes. Reservations are made online, and even if you have an annual state park pass, you're still required to make a timed entry reservation. If you have camping reservations, you don't have to get a separate timed entry pass. Note that the reservation passes are for single cars — they are not available for "oversized vehicles, vehicles pulling other types of trailers, buses, and recreational vehicles."

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park reopened in 2025 after being closed for the spring and summer 2024 season; this was to help with repairs and trail safety after large numbers of visitors had caused significant erosion problems. This new pilot program requiring reservations piggybacks on those improvements. If you're visiting this summer, make sure to have a reservation, or you'll be turned away. And while you're in the area, consider exploring other gorgeous day trip destinations from Redding, like the Lake Shasta Caverns, Shasta Lake, and Lassen Volcanic National Park.