Things To Do at Donner Memorial State Park – Though the park is named for the Donner Party, it is dedicated to all the hearty souls who took part in the Westward Migration movement of the late 19th century. The park features the Emigrant Trail Museum, which is open year ‘round and includes exhibits about both human and natural history of this area, as well as the Monument to the hearty pioneers of the Westward Migration.
In the busy summertime, the park's campground is bustling with families. We offer programs such as Junior Rangers, nature hikes and history hikes, and the ever-popular campfire programs at our newly refurbished campfire center. For a program schedule, click here.
The parks' day use and picnic area are excellent starting points for day hikes. The park has about two and a half miles of hiking trails, and there are excellent trail opportunities in the neighboring Tahoe National Forest. Hiking information is available at the trail museum.
Pine and fir forests
The forest surrounding Donner Memorial State park is made up primarily of lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine and white fir. Because we're at nearly 6,000 feet in elevation, there is no poison oak. You may see deer, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, raccoons, beavers and a wide variety of birds while visiting us.
In and near the park are fascinating traces of the geologic process that shaped this portion of the Sierra Nevada. Rounded, smooth-surfaced rock outcrops are the result of giant bubbles of molten rock that cooled and hardened as they rose up into the earth's surface (called "granitic intrusions"). More recently, erosion has exposed that granite bedrock. The Sierra's steep eastern face, which was such a formidable barrier for the Donner Party and other California immigrants, was formed over the last few million years by the tilting up of a gigantic section of the earth's crust. The huge granite block tipped up dramatically on the east and tipped down on the west to disappear beneath the accumulated sediments that form the Sacramento Valley. Throughout much of the last million years, glaciers dominated the crest of the Sierra Nevada. One of them carved out the Truckee Basin, where the park is located, depositing gravel and some huge boulders in what is now a thickly forested area. When the glacier retreated, it left behind a terminal moraine of loose soil and gravel that blocked the creek channel and resulted in the formation of Donner Lake.
The picnic area is located near the lake and includes picnic tables, restrooms and piped drinking water. A sandy beach and walking trails are nearby. An easy, one-mile lakeside interpretive trail starts in the lagoon portion of the day-use area and continues along the lake. Day use permits can be purchased at the front entrance for $8.00 per vehicle, $7.00 for seniors. Permits are good until sundown on the day of purchase.
The 154-site campground is usually open from Memorial Day until mid-September, unless snowfall prohibits. Click here for more information and to make a reservation.
The park has more than three miles of frontage on Donner Lake and Donner Creek. Fishing is not spectacular, though the lake is planted periodically with catchable trout, and both trout and Kokanee are sometimes caught. A valid sport fishing license is required and may be purchased in nearby downtown Truckee. Many fishermen use the park as a base to visit nearby lakes.
While the park has no boat-launching ramp on site, a public ramp operated by the Truckee Donner Recreation & Parks District is available in the northwest corner of Donner Lake about a mile away. There is a fee charged for boat launching. For information call (530) 582-7720 or click here for more information. The lake is open to both power and sail boats.
Though the water is cold (65°-68°), many enjoy a refreshing swim in Donner Lake. Swimming is allowed at all State Park access points. China Cove, on the west end of the Park, offers a roped swimming area, sandy beach, picnic benches, bathrooms and parking. For additional swimming options around the Lake that are open to the public, outside of the park, click here to visit the local Rec & Park District website.
Donner Lake is very popular for non-motorized water sports such as paddle boarding, kayaking and sailing. Equipment can be rented at the State Park concession during summer months.
Visitor Center Hours: 10 am-5pm daily. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Visitor Center Fee: Free. Parking costs $8.00 per vehicle, $7.00 if Seniors are present.
Front Desk: 530-582-7892
Though the park is named for the Donner Party, it is dedicated to all the hearty souls who took part in the Westward Migration movement of the late 19th century. The park features the new Visitor Center which explore the theme, "Crossing Barriers:Changing Lives". Open year round, the exhibits showcase the cultural history of this area, as well as the Monument to the hearty pioneers of the Westward Migration.
A gentle, self-guided nature trail starts near the museum and makes a loop through the forest. Printed trail guides are available at the museum and entrance station. An easy, one-mile lakeside interpretive trail starts in the lagoon portion of the day-use area and continues along the lake.
The Pioneer Monument, located near the museum, was erected in honor of all who made the difficult trek across the western plains and mountains to reach California during the 1840s. Work on the monument began at Donner Lake in 1901, when the Native Sons of the Golden West purchased the site and constructed the stone base on which the bronze statue stands today. The monument was completed and officially dedicated June 6, 1918, on the site of the Breen Cabin, one of the structures used by members of the Donner Party during the winter of 1846-1847. About 200 yards south of the museum is the site of the Murphy Cabin, where 16 members of the Murphy, Foster and Eddy families spent the winter of 1847-47. Built in November of 1846, the cabin was approximately 25 feet long and 18 feet wide, and was cold and damp, with an earthen floor. A large rock formed the west end of the cabin.
The parks' day use and picnic area are excellent starting points for day hikes. The park has about two and a half miles of hiking trails, and there are excellent trail opportunities in the neighboring Tahoe National Forest.
Park property in Coldstream Canyon to the south contains the alignment of the primary Emigrant Trail, which leads up to U.S. Forest Service and the Pacific Crest trails beyond the park. Maps are for sale at the Emigrant Trail Museum.
For information about local trails near Donner Lake click here.
The Lakeshore Interpretive Trail features eighteen trailside exhibits illustrating the history of the Emigrant Trail and the area’s geology and ecology, Washoe culture, and the local recreational possibilities. The path leads to, and along, Donner Lake. The trail ends at a nice picnicking spot near the lake.
When snow covers the park, rangers link park roads and trails into a gentle 3-mile cross-country ski route that runs along the south side of Donner Lake. This trail is accessible for all cross-country levels. Skiers seeking more cross-country challenge can access Cold Stream Canyon loop from the back end of the park. Designated trails that parallel the cross-country trails are available for snowshoers. Guided snowshoe tours are available to park visitors on the weekends.
Many enjoy the 10K loop on their bikes around Donner Lake. The route on the north side of the Lake is a Class II bike path and then continues in a quiet neighborhood on the south side of the lake.
Directions: Start on Donner Pass Road near the State Park. Continue on just-installed bike lanes down to west end of lake. Make lefts to continue around on South Shore Drive. At the end of South Shore, go straight onto the paved path into Donner State Park and follow the main road back to the park entrance on Donner Pass Road.