Iconic 'secret' waterfall now limits access as crowds push park to breaking point

The waterfalls are located in McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in Shasta County, California, about 60 miles northeast of Redding.

The waterfalls were once called the "Eighth Wonder of the World" by Theodore Roosevelt, according to SFGate.

The park is now requiring advance booking until Sept. 27, and will only allow 241 vehicles per day while the pilot program is in place.

"For generations of visitors, it had the reputation of a small, family-oriented park and one of California's best-kept secrets," officials said.

"However, over the past decade, and especially with the growth of social media, that secret is now world-famous."

Annual visitor numbers have roughly doubled since 2015, which pushes the park "beyond a sustainable capacity and creat[es] a host of problems."

Those issues include environmental damage, traffic backups, illegal parking, safety concerns and sanitation issues.

Same-day reservations will not be permitted, and all visitors, including annual pass holders, are required to reserve ahead.

"Oversized vehicles, vehicles pulling other types of trailers, buses and recreational vehicles are not allowed in the park during the day-use reservation period," the statement said.

"Tour buses and commercial tour groups are not allowed in the park without a pre-approved permit."

California State Parks said the pilot program is intended to "reduce the impacts of overcrowding."

The program's goals "are to alleviate the strain on the park's resources and infrastructure, and to improve visitor safety during the busiest summer days, when large crowds often overwhelm the park and the surrounding area."

The program also aims to prevent visitors from being turned away as the park frequently reaches capacity on weekends.

"By allowing visitors to make a reservation in advance, we can help keep crowds manageable and not push the park's resources past the breaking point."

Fox News Digital reached out to California State Parks for additional comment.