Project at a Glance

• Year conserved: 2010, 2012, 2016

• Acres: 2,100+

• Project partners: Truckee Donner Land Trust, The Trust for Public Land

• Owned by: Donner Memorial State Park, Tahoe National Forest and Truckee Donner Land Trust

• Things to do: Hiking, mountain biking

Conservation History & Values

Donner Pass has been a critical gateway across the Sierra Nevada for centuries. Even before the arrival of Euro-American emigrants, Native Americans living east and west of the Sierra Nevada used 7,200-foot Donner Pass as a travel corridor and meeting place. In 1844, the Stephens Party hauled their wagons up the rock faces above Donner Lake, becoming the first emigrants to find a route over the Sierra Nevada with oxen and wagons. The lake and pass were subsequently named for a less fortunate band of emigrants who, two years later, failed to cross the Sierra before the early arrival of winter snows. Only forty-five of the eighty-three members of the Donner Party trapped in the mountains that winter survived to reach California.

In 1869, the nation’s first transcontinental railroad traversed the Sierra Nevada at Donner Summit, enabling travelers and wonder seekers from the world over to experience the natural beauties of the Sierra for the first time. One of the most famous was American painter Albert Bierstadt whose canvas, View of Donner Lake, immortalized the lake in the public’s imagination. The painting, one of several the artist made after traveling to Donner Summit with railroad baron Collis Huntington in 1871, drew hundreds of viewers daily when it was displayed in San Francisco in 1873.

Not surprisingly, Donner Lake’s remarkable beauty and proximity to the easiest route across the Sierra Nevada attracted many to settle on its shores. Today, much of the lake is ringed with homes, but lands above the lake are largely open and unspoiled. The Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT) initiated efforts to conserve Donner Lake in 1995. Since then, the Land Trust has worked with The Trust for Public Land and the Northern Sierra Partnership to acquire over 2,100 acres adjacent to Donner Memorial State Park. Recent acquisitions have included: Summit Canyon (2010), Johnson Canyon (2012) and Castle Valley (2016).

Recreation & Restoration

Donner Lake is a recreational paradise and becoming more so every year. The Truckee Donner Land Trust is working to complete the 23-mile Donner Lake Rim Trail (DLRT) that encircles Donner Lake and offers hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians stunning views of Donner Lake, Mount Rose and the Pacific Crest. Hikers and bikers can access the Donner Lake Rim Trail from downtown Truckee, Donner Lake or Donner Summit.