Lassen Volcanic National Park – On the Loose Live

Chasing Waterfalls: Enchanting Burney Falls, Shasta County, CA

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026livevigorously

Wowza, I’ve chased a lot of waterfalls in my time, but Burney Falls stands out for its terraced, storybook, enchanting beauty.

And talk about an easy chase —huge reward for minimal effort— easy 1-mile round-trip stroll with an elevation gain of 161 ft

At 129 feet high, Burney Falls is the main attraction of California’s McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park. I’d never heard of it, but it has to be one of the most gorgeous waterfalls that I’ve seen. It has an impressive daily flow of 100 million gallons, and the water temperature ranges from 42 to 48 degrees. While it was tempting, I didn’t take the cold plunge this time.

Apparently, there are 5 more miles of trails in the park, but it’s really all about the waterfall. If you’re adventuring in Lassen Volcanic National Park, Burney Falls is just ~40 miles North off of CA-89.

Notes: Day-use parking fee: $10. No dogs are allowed on trails or day-use areas. Go early; the small parking lot fills up fast.

Getting there: It’s off CA-89 N. (~40 miles from Lassen Volcanic National Park)

Happy Trails!

A Quick Jaunt Up Lassen Peak Rewards With Panormaic Views, Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA

February 2, 2026livevigorously

Distance: 5 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,957 ft (8,500 ft at the trailhead to 10,457 ft at the peak)

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, depending on your fitness level and altitude acclimation.

(LVNP rates it as strenuous and suggests 4-5 hours. It took us 2 hours – the threat of a storm kept us on pace.)

When it’s your last day in LVNP, and you haven’t “bagged” Lassen Peak yet, you make a run for it. And so we did. Actually, it was more of a fast walk than a trot, but a steady pace to try and outpace a looming monsoon. Mission accomplished. This was a fun hike and a solid workout. In my opinion, the trail is runnable – mostly smooth gravel with some short rocky sections. It’s a moderate, though consistent, incline with sweeping switchbacks. (Unfortunately, my knees no longer sanction running, so I have to settle for brisk walking.)

Since we had just hiked the Ridge Lakes Trail with 1k of elevation gain, we were warmed up for the climb. If you’re just hopping out of the car, you may want to take a little stretch band stroll before you hop on the “hill”.

The immediate scenery is a bit stark, but the panoramic views are splendid.