See the California Waterfall Teddy Roosevelt Called “the Eighth Wonder of the World”

When you’re out exploring nature, you will run across things that are just stunningly beautiful. You may come across specific mountain ranges that will leave you breathless. Or you may explore an island and then turn around and see the majestic, turquoise sea twinkling from the sun’s rays. Mother Nature has created some incredible things in our world. We must take care of our environment so that we can continue to enjoy this Earth.

One such natural wonder is located in Shasta County, California and it’s a waterfall. Burney Falls is a majestic waterfall President Teddy Roosevelt called the “eighth wonder of the world.” Let’s take a look at Burney Falls. We’ll also go more in detail into why Teddy Roosevelt called it the “eighth wonder in the world,” as well as the wildlife around the falls and other fun facts.

Location of Burney Falls

Burney Falls is located in Northern California. More specifically, Burney Falls sits along Burney Creek in the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park within Shasta County. The cities around the falls include Cassel, Burney, and Johnson Park. Burney Falls is quite close to Lake Britton and the Pacific Coast Trail passes by the falls. There are several other landmarks in the area, including the Rainbow Footbridge, Pioneer Cemetery, and the Burney Falls General Store.

The nearby town of Burney, California, is named after a settler Samuel Burney, who came into the area in the 1850s around the Gold Rush era. Several other places are named after him including Burney Mountain. He was found dead in the valley in 1859 and the townspeople started calling the area “the valley where Burney died” but then settled on Burney. 

Teddy Roosevelt’s Nickname for the Falls

President Theodore Roosevelt, nicknamed “Teddy,” was an outdoorsman. He loved being close to nature. As a child, he was sickly, but as he grew up, it was ingrained in his mind that to do away from his sickliness, he would have been more of a sportsman. It worked and he loved every minute of doing sports and being outside. He made several trips to California, including one to the Sierra Nevadas with John Muir.

In one such trip more than 120 years ago, President Teddy Roosevelt proclaimed, when he saw Burney Falls up close, that it was the “eighth wonder of the world.” The magnificence of the falls enthralled him and continues to enthrall others, too.

Burney Falls was one of those nature landmarks that was close to forgotten by visitors but then came the Instagram geotag. That spurred visitors into the area and now the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial Park is met with an abundance of visitors every year — and all because of social media.

About Burney Falls

The water that splashes down, creating the falls, comes from an underground spring. They’re about 129 feet high and usually about 100 million gallons every day crashes down onto Burney Creek. Burney Creek is a tributary of the Pit River, which flows south from nearby Lake Britton. During the summer the waterfall is something to behold, as it is best from April to October because the snow has melted away, creating more intense falls.

The water at the falls never increases more than 42 degrees Fahrenheit so it’s best to reconsider taking a swim in the creek unless you like cold water. However, if you’re into fishing, the falls are a great location for fly fishing. Just remember, because it’s a state park, you’ll have to release the fish you catch back into the creek.

The area around Burney Falls started being gobbled up by Pacific Gas and Electric because they wanted to develop the region. Fearful of what could happen, the descendants of John and Catherine McArthur, who bought the land of what is now Burney Falls in the 1860s, decided to purchase the land. They later gave the acreage to the state in 1920 and it was named a park in 1926.

Wildlife In the Area

Wildlife is abundant in the area. The northeastern part of California, thankfully, is not as developed as the coasts. This means that you can see a lot of wildlife when you’re hiking the trails around the falls. When it comes to birds, you can spot several soaring in the sky including the bald eagle, peregrine falcons, ospreys, or black swifts. The park is also home to Douglas firs and ponderosa pines which attract animals like woodpeckers and western fence lizards.

You will also be able to spot California ground squirrels, American white pelicans, coyotes, porcupines, and foxes near the California white oaks and California black oaks. Lastly, you may be able to see mule deer, rabbits, and other tiny animals around. Just one word of advice, watch out for those mountain lions!

When you’re out camping at night, you will most likely see tiny animals, insects, and rodents running around. It’s best you know that now instead of running into a mouse when you’re unpacking the sleeping bag.

Climate Around the Falls

The region around Burney Falls has a warm-summer type of Mediterranean climate. The average monthly temperature is usually 71 degrees Fahrenheit and the area can experience warm and dry summers. The record-high average in Burney was 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters are cold here, with the average low temperature going down to about 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The record-low average was a whopping -26 degrees Fahrenheit. 

How to Get to Burney Falls

The area around Burney Falls has many campsites. So, if you want to take hikes along the area and stay overnight, it’s perfectly possible to do so. There are several hiking trails you can take, too. They include the Pacific Crest Trail, the Pioneer Cemetery Trail, and the Burney Creek Trail.

You can reach Burney Falls from Highway 89, but there are certain requirements you should adhere to. Do not park on Highway 89 (for a mile in either direction of the entrance to the park) unless you want your car towed. You should always park inside the park and a day pass is $10. For those nature lovers who want to camp for the night, it will cost $35 for one vehicle. Extra vehicles will have to pay an additional $10 per night.

Conclusion

And there you have it, the California waterfall Teddy Roosevelt called the “eighth wonder of the world” is Burney Falls. Nestled in Shasta County, Burney Falls is a majestic wonder, indeed. The water splashes down into Burney Creek and the mist refreshes every second you’re watching the falls in action. The water below is a clear blue color that entices you, as you can see the fish swimming and going about their day.

As you trek up to see Burney Falls in person, look at your surroundings. Mother Nature is a beautiful thing. The green, luscious trees, the clear, blue waters, the animals roaming about — all of that can sometimes be such a wonder. It’s no wonder that 26th President Teddy Roosevelt, upon seeing the majestic Burney Falls, called it the “eighth wonder of the world.”