Shawnee Group of the Sierra Club

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Adventures with Uncle Bob

Burden Falls Wilderness 

There are two routes for gaining access to the area.  The first is from Harrisburg by taking highway 145 to Delwood. Turn right and follow the gravel road about 4 miles.  Since the falls is under the road and has no signage, your clue is stream bed over the road on a concrete slab.  Note the parking area on the north side.  The second access route is via Highway 13 east of Marion to Hwy. 166, then to Hwy. 45.  Turn right onto Hwy 45 and after approximately 5 miles look for the Forest Service sign to Bell Smith Springs.  You will travel on this asphalt road for several miles that turns into a gravel road.  At a "T" intersection, turn right.  Traveling further, you encounter a brown sign where you turn left (continuing straight ahead takes you to Bell Smith Springs).  It is approximately three miles to the falls.

In late April of 2003, there were four, small, ten-foot falls flowing from the road over the rock shut-ins.  If you follow the user-made trail on the west side downstream you will find yet another falls. You will come to cliffs looking down into a canyon about 100 ft. deep.  The trail terrain is a glade top surrounded by a variety of ferns, mosses, and prickly pear cactus.  The trail stops after roughly a half mile with an easy descent leading under the cliffs.  Hike south (go right) under the cliff line with its huge strewn boulders, rock formations, and a 50 foot waterfall on your right.  You will arrive at a two tier waterfall. The total falls height is probably about 50 ft. high and at least 20 ft. wide with two streams.

Upon returning to the parking lot you should look for another user-made trail on the east side of the falls.  This will give you a little different view of the falls along the cliff. The trail eventually fades away , but you will be able to locate a couple places to descend.

Back in the car again, go about 2 miles east and look for a parking area by a wilderness designation sign.  The parking lot will accommodate both cars and horse trailers.  I brief exploration of the area on a trail, I did not see any significant geologic features of interest, but I could hear the sound of a waterfall.  About 50 feet off the trail, I found a 20 foot cascade of water bouncing off the rocks.

One mile west of Burden Falls is yet another trail.  There is only room for parking one car at its opening.  Since it was occupied during my visit,  I was unable to explore it. Why don’t you?

For more information, contact Bob Tyson at 684-5643. °