Located in Shasta County, California, Burney Falls is a waterfall at about 893 m (2,930 ft) above sea level. It is part of McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park. The nearest town is Burney, about 14.3 km (8.9 mi) away (Burney Falls lies N of town).
Burney Falls is a waterfall on Burney Creek, within McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, in Shasta County, California. The water comes from underground springs above and at the falls, which are 129 feet (39 m) high, and provides an almost constant flow rate of 379,000,000 liters (83,000,000 imp gal; 100,000,000 U.S. gal) per day, even during the dry summer months. Burney Creek is a tributary of the Pit River which has its mouth on the Lake Britton reservoir to the north. The falls are an example of river drainage regulated by stratigraphically controlled springs, and of a waterfall formed by undercutting of horizontal strata. Called "the Eighth Wonder of the World" by President Theodore Roosevelt, the falls are "at their most intense ... during the spring, from early April through October, when snowmelt is at its peak". The falls were declared a National Natural Landmark in...From the Wikipedia article “Burney Falls”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Burney Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:43 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 121° ESE | 4:42 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 15m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Burney Falls, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this waterfall
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Burney Falls, closest first.
State Park
Lake
WaterfallWaterfall
Volcano
Hot SpringHot Spring
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Burney Falls?
What time is golden hour at Burney Falls?
Where does the sun rise and set at Burney Falls?
Can you see the Milky Way from Burney Falls?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Burney Falls?
How far is Burney Falls from Burney?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.