Donner Lake - site of the Donner Party tragedy - is now a popular state park with a fascinating museum. Just past it is Donner Summit, with hiking opportunities and a wealth of history.
Hike, Paddle or Snowshoe All Day
A poignant tribute to one of the West’s most harrowing pioneer stories, Donner Memorial State Park sits at the edge of Donner Lake where the ill-fated Donner Party spent the brutal winter of 1846–47. The park’s striking Pioneer Monument, topped with a statue at the height of that season’s snow, honors all early emigrants. In summer, visitors can hike forested trails, swim, fish or paddle on the lake. In winter it transforms into a snowy escape for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, with interpretive displays at the Emigrant Trail Museum open year-round.
Hike Through Centuries of History
High above the lake, Donner Summit blends natural beauty with fascinating relics of westward expansion. Here you’ll find Truckee Petroglyphs carved by the ancient Martis people, and abandoned railroad tunnels from the 1860s, blasted by Chinese laborers to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. On the 3.6-mile Donner Summit Canyon Trailhead, visitors can walk along segments of the old Lincoln Hwy – the nation’s first coast-to-coast highway – still visible in places beside dramatic cliffs and alpine views. The 5.2-mile Judah Loop Trailhead passes by signage marking notable sites along the California Emigrant Trail, which crossed these rugged summits.
