Location: County: Placer. Nearest City: Truckee.
Campsites, facilities: There are 154 sites for tents
or RVs up to 28 feet long. Piped water, flush toilets, showers,
picnic tables, and fire grills are provided. Supplies are available
about one mile away in Truckee. Facilities are wheelchair accessible.
Leashed pets are permitted.
Reservations, fees: Reserve by phoning 1-800-444-PARK/7275
($7.50 reservation fee); $15-$17 per night, $1 pet fee. The campground
for this park is usually open Memorial Day through mid-September.
Contact: Phone 1-530-582-7892 or 1-530-582-7894, or
FAX 1-530-583-7893.
Donner Memorial SP
12593 Donner Pass Road
Truckee CA 96161
Operating hours, seasons: Call the park for information;
open all year round.
Park Kiosk Hours:
Directions: From Auburn, drive east on Interstate 80
just past Donner Lake to the Donner State Park exit. Turn south
on Donner Pass Road and drive one-half mile to the park entrance
and the southeast end of the lake.
Weather, clothing: The weather can be changeable; layered
clothing is recommended.
Trip notes: Donner Memorial State Park is located on
Donner Lake in the Sierra-Nevada mountain range. The park contains
the Emigrant Trail Museum, with exhibits recounting the tragic
story of the ill-fated Donner Party trapped in the are during
the severe winter of 1846-47. The museum also features displays
on the region's history and natural environment. Donner Memorial
State Park's 3 acres feature a swimming area, picnic sites, and
cross-country skiing trails in winter. The remarkable beauty
of Donner Lake often evokes a deep, heartfelt response. The lake
is big, three miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide, gemlike
blue, and set near the Sierra crest at 5,900 feet. The area is
well developed, with a number of cabins and access roads, and
this state park is the feature destination. It is located along
the southeastern end of the lake and is extremely pretty. Fishing
is good here (typically only in the early morning), trolling
for kokanee salmon or rainbow trout, with big Mackinaw and brown
trout providing wild cards. In the summer a wind often comes
up in the early afternoon here. In the winter a good cross-country
ski trail is available. One last note: Please bring plenty of
food. You know why.
© 2001, Miwok Lodge 439, Order of the
Arrow, Santa Clara County Council Inc., BSA
Revision 1.2
