Burden Falls is called the 'best waterfall in Southern Illinois' for good reason. It's amazing.
There's just so much to see here. Right as you turn onto Burden Falls Road, it's like your entering a different world. Most of the extreme Southern region is gorgeous, you could be really happy just traversing the main roads here, and it will be a nice and pretty trip. But if you take some of these back roads it's completely different.
First of all, civilization basically ends. Burden Falls is off an unimproved gravel road (which I do NOT recommend going down on a motorcycle if your not comfortable on gravel...like we did and I'm not.) There's a really neat old church and graveyard (yeah, I like that sort of thing) about a half mile from the turn off that still uses an outhouse.
Keep going and you'll see a sigh for Burden Falls natural area. This is not it, there are two small parking areas with horse trails before you get to the falls. The actual falls are about 4 miles from the main road, and you'll know it without a doubt when you get there, you will pass over Burden Creek (there will be water across the road, especially if it's rained recently) and be able to see the upper falls from the road.
There's a decent sized parking area, and there were a few other people when we got there, with plenty of room left for more. The upper falls are right off to the right, and you can climb all up and around them. It is slick though, so definitely be careful and wear good shoes.
Theres the main part of the upper falls, which branch out in several places, and then there's twin falls further to the right in a dip.
We had never been here before, and were thrilled with the upper falls, but thought that's all there was. We followed the creek downstream just a little ways and realized the main falls are HUGE. We stood on the top and looked down, its definitely the kind of thing you have to be careful around. This is a natural area, so the trails are faint, and there are no guard rails of any kind. It's just you and your wits. The mian fall is 45 feet high, so BE CAREFUL.
We couldn't get down inside the hollow the fall flows into, there is a way down on the right hand side but it was far too wet and slippery to risk today. It's something I would really like to come back and do some other time. Once really wasn't enough, and there's alot to see here in the area. A trail runs to the left of the falls, and you could poke around there for quite a while. The sign in also said that there's a spring and another area with waterfalls farther down the road, but we didn't see those on this trip (giving us an excuse to come back some other time)
How to get there:
Nestled on the southeastern edge of the Burden Falls Wilderness lives its namesake, Burden Falls. The wilderness area is composed of 3,694 acres and borders the Bay Creek Wilderness Area.
In between the two resides a narrow gravel road that can be accessed by 145 or by navigating backroads via Eddyville or Ozark and then turning on to Forest Service Road 402 or Burden Falls Road, which Google lists as McCormick Rd, also.
One of the creeks that forms Burden Falls has to be traversed if coming in from 145 via FS 402, so take precautions and do not cross if water is flowing too high. If you come in from the Ozark back roads it does not involve a creek crossing.
