Park Ranger Falls Under Spell of Niagara of West

Some people around here refer to the falls as the Niagara of the West.

That may be considered an exaggeration by many, but probably not to Ranger Jack Sanders.

Sanders, 51, bearded and taciturn, has been the state park ranger here for 24 years. He has repeatedly turned down promotions and transfers to stay by these falls, and he has now been in one park longer than any other ranger in the state system.

“It’s the waterfalls that has kept me here. I have seen waterfalls all over America. Each one is different and unique in its own way. But Burney Falls is really something special,” Sanders insists.

He isn’t alone in his enthusiasm. Teddy Roosevelt called Burney Falls the eighth wonder of the world, according to the state park brochure. The park is off California 89 in Shasta County, halfway between Lassen Peak and Mt. Shasta.

Hundreds of plumes of water cascade from the face of the 300-foot-wide volcanic cliff, in addition to twin falls plummeting from Burney Creek at the crest of the 129-foot waterfalls. Spring-fed streamlets issue from porous volcanic rocks through an emerald green carpet of five-finger ferns and moss blanketing the cliff face.

The 128 campsites in the park, all in close proximity to the waterfalls, are booked solid from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Sanders talked about the pristine beauty of the forest surrounding the falls in autumn, when the leaves change color, and when the landscape embracing the falls is canopied with glistening snow in winter.

“It is something to behold when the mist from the falls freezes and sticks to everything, and long icicles hang from the moss and ferns on the face of the cliff,” Sanders mused.