After you cross the river on the highway bridge, turn left into an unpaved parking area when you will find an old rail bed in front of you. About ¼ mile down the path you find the scene from the movie. There is no food or gas between McCloud and Burney Falls so make sure you’ve hit the bathroom before you depart! The McCloud River is also used by kayakers who start at the Lower Falls and go to McCloud Reservoir, and dirt roads nearby are used by off-road vehicles. When the McCloud River Falls Trail reaches Middle Falls the roar from the falling water drowns out all other noise. Once you’re down, the kids will have fun “touching” the water flowing from some of the side falls, but are only rewarded with the ability to do this after scampering across the rocks. Easy hike for all my family ( kids 2-13) and the honey. While swimming is allowed, it is not recommended, as the water is rather cold year-round. There is easy viewing from several observation areas immediately across from the parking lot, but this is only the beginning of your adventure! For the most part, the trail is level or slightly downhill and my 78 year-old mother-in-law handled it like a champ! To get there, continue on HWY-89 for about 30 minutes until you see the signs for the falls. First, go to the park and see the falls. The water surging over the precipice is an awesome view from here. There are two “must do” activities when you arrive. Now, for the part about getting back to your car…. The falls are special any time of the year, but especially so in the Fall when the leaves turn red and yellow, and the cool mountain air reminds everyone winter is around the corner. Cindy had returned to the car via the other path and then drove down the hill to the ramp area to pick us up. (Burney Falls in early April) The final stop is the McCloud River Falls. Don’t worry about how you’re going to get back up – we’ll tackle that later. This part of the trail meanders through the woods and along an inlet of the lake for about 1.5 miles down to the lake’s boat ramp area. Nice parking, picnic area, and grills at Lower falls, where you can begin the nice hike up to Middle and Upper falls. The McCloud River Trail passes three beautiful waterfalls as it winds through a canyon of basalt lava rock. Accessibility: There are three observation points (one to each waterfall) that are paved and wheelchair and stroller friendly from the parking lots. Burney Falls and Lake Britton is one of our favorite day trips to take from McCloud. Cross the highway on the trestle (if you dare) or simply cross the street and pick up the path on the other side. Regardless of your age, follow the well-established trail down to the pool below the falls. The trail comes within 30 feet of the edge of the falls’ pool. On the way down, notice how the falls seem to change as you observe the cascade from different vantage points. For those that can handle a moderate hike (not long, but a bit steep in some areas) go ahead and cross the bridge to complete the trail loop back up the other side of the gorge, eventually crossing the river again above the falls not far from the parking lot. The trail, however, switches back and begins to climb out of the river’s canyon. This smooth, well maintained trail offers summer swimming, fall foliage, and an early spring thaw, making it fun and accessible almost year-round. McCloud Falls: Visiting all Three Tiers of the Waterfall McCloud Falls are a great stop on Highway 89. Our kids love reenacting the railroad scene from the movie and are looking forward to the span being reopened as part of the Great Shasta Rail Trail project that will literally link Burney Falls to McCloud for hikers and bicyclists alike via this old rail bed. During one trip when Cindy’s mother had joined us, Pat and I let the rest of the family hike back up the other side of the falls while we continued downstream, never crossing the arched bridge. There is no food or gas between McCloud and Burney Falls so make sure you’ve hit the bathroom before you depart! Burney Falls may be the most beautiful waterfall in all of California, and certainly in the Top 10 nationally. The second “must do” in the area is to check out the famous Stand By Me bridge located just north of the park on your way back to McCloud. There are several access points, and if someone wanted to opt out of the hike they could drive to each one. Perfect!!! Burney Falls and Lake Britton is one of our favorite day trips to take from McCloud. The park is only 40 miles east of town on Hwy 89, which is a lonely drive through soaring pine forests. Spectacular Burney Falls is a 45-minute drive east on State Highway 89, the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, from McCloud. The falls don’t have the staggering beauty that Burney Falls does, but being able to see three different pieces of a waterfall without even hiking is not something you can often do. We were bummed no dogs allowed But there are some steep edges that could be a risk if you had hikers and dogs on leash. Here you’ve got a decision to make. Hike was beautiful, views of the falls and burney creek that was just pristine. Quite a few people enjoying the falls and trail but never felt crowded and we were able to take amazing pictures like we were there alone. The park is only 40 miles east of town on Hwy 89, which is a lonely drive through soaring pine forests. Head downstream for a ways until you encounter an arched bridge. Johanna handled this without any difficulty as a 5-year-old, although we made sure to keep her hand in ours at some of the steeper areas of the hike.