Wildlife in the park includes bass, trout, Steller's jay, squirrels, woodpeckers, deer, and on rare occasion, black bear.

Created over a million years ago, the layered, porous basalt retains rainwater and snow melt, which forms a large underground reservoir.

Within the park, the water emerges as springs at and above Burney Falls, where it flows at 100 million gallons every day (4.4 m3/s).

Descendants were responsible for saving the waterfall and nearby land from development, purchasing the property and presenting it as a gift to the state in the 1920s.

It is possible to go upstream ten yards of the falls, where the view is so obstructed by natural elements that it's difficult to discern one is close to the cascade.

The people who go boating are able to enjoy the 9 miles (14 km) long lake and are able to explore numerous nooks and crannies well beyond the boundaries of McArthur–Burney Falls Memorial State Park.

These include a rail bridge that was used in the 1986 movie Stand By Me, the Pit River Dam, many independent boat docks, and a villa owned by the PG&E employee association.