In addition to MacArthur-Burney,another wonderful regional waterfall to visit is McCloud Falls (www.waterfallswest.com) on the—surprise!—McCloud River. You’ll find the name accurate—in truth you’ve got the opportunity to see three separate waterfalls here.

The Lower McCloud Falls acts as the prelude, with roiling white water pouring over a 30-foot rock wall into an aerated river pool below. Next, the Middle McCloud Falls resembles a tiny half-Niagara, a level fall of water that’s wider than it is tall. (A lot of these types of waterfalls cluster around the mountains.) Finally, Upper McCloud Falls cascades powerfully but shortly down into a chilly but occasionally welcome pool that can double as a swimming hole.

Getting There

To get there, exit I-5 on Highway 89 east toward McCloud. After about five miles, start looking for signs to Fowler’s Camp and Lower McCloud Falls. After about a mile, you’ll come to the Lower Falls picnic area, where you can park.