Sight Donner Lake, Truckee

Donner Memorial State Park

A sight in Donner Lake, Truckee, budget-friendly ($) and worth about 1.5 hours. Best time to go: Afternoon.

Why go

Park at the east end of Donner Lake with the Pioneer Monument and a museum on the Donner Party and the railroad.

It is one of 8 curated places we feature in Truckee, alongside 3 activities, 1 place to eat and 1 outdoor spot. The closest of our other picks is Donner Lake, 1.2 mi away as the crow flies.

Type: Sight · Culture
Neighborhood: Donner Lake
Price: $
Time needed: 1.5 hr
Best time: Afternoon

Nearby

The 6 closest curated picks in Truckee, measured as straight-line distance.

1
Donner Lake
Mountain lake just west of town below Donner Pass, ringed by snowy granite peaks in winter.
Outdoors · 1.2 mi straight-line
2
Truckee Depot
Downtown train depot where Amtrak's California Zephyr stops, with a visitor center and a caboose outside.
Sight · 3.0 mi straight-line
3
Moody's Bistro Bar & Beats
Downtown restaurant and bar in the Truckee Hotel building, with live music most nights.
Food · 3.1 mi straight-line
4
The Truckee Hotel
Victorian-era hotel in downtown Truckee, steps from the depot and Commercial Row.
Stay · 3.1 mi straight-line
5
Sugar Bowl
Ski resort on Donner Summit, opened in 1939, that gets some of the deepest snow in the Sierra.
Activity · 5.1 mi straight-line
6
Northstar California
Family-friendly ski resort south of Truckee, with long groomed runs and an outdoor ice rink in its village.
Activity · 7.3 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

Donner Memorial State Park is a stop on our South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City & Truckee
Sierra ski days around a deep blue lake
6 daysStop 3 of 3Best Dec – Mar

More to do in Truckee

Donner Memorial State Park is our only sight pick in Truckee; here is what else we recommend there. See the full Truckee guide.

Royal Gorge Cross Country
Large cross-country ski area on Donner Summit, with groomed classic and skate trails and snowshoe routes.
ActivityDonner Summit$$

When to go

Average daily highs in Truckee run from 36°F in December to 85°F in July; December is usually the wettest month. For Donner Memorial State Park itself, we suggest: Afternoon.

Modelled monthly averages for Truckee from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Full Truckee weather by month.

Getting there

Map links open a live search for Donner Memorial State Park, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Coordinates: 39.32000, -120.24167
Destination: Truckee, California