How to Visit Donner Memorial State Park (Things to Do)

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About the Donner Party

If you haven’t read my post about the nearby Donner Camp Site at Alder Creek, I suggest doing so now. In it is a brief history lesson of the Donner Party and how they ended up in their predicament. It includes information leading up to Alder Creek, but not at Donner Lake.

When the Donner family and their teamsters became stranded at Alder Creek due to Jacob Donner’s broken wagon axel and injury, the other members of the party continued onward, believing the Donners’ would eventually catch up with them.

However, they would only make it another six to seven miles before they realized the mountain was impassable due to the arrival of early heavy snowfall. The party would then settle near Donner Lake, then known as Truckee Lake, within the confines of what is now Donner Memorial State Park.

The various families would huddle together in several make-shift cabins scattered throughout the forest. They would remain here throughout the winter and into spring. While some would eventually be rescued, others weren’t as fortunate and perished.

Due to lack of food and no way to hunt, many party members survived by consuming the corpses of their fallen comrades. This was mostly done to those who already perished, but there were reports of murder/cannibalism taking place as well (though none were substantiated).

By the time spring weather cleared the snow around Donner Lake, around forty members of the Donner Party perished (including the Donner family at Alder Creek), with forty-eight members (mostly consisting of women and children) were rescued and survived.

Getting There, Parking and Fees

Donner Memorial State Park is located just a few miles from historic Downtown Truckee and directly off of Interstate-80. Heading either direction on the freeway, take the Donner Pass Road exit and take the first exit out of the round-a-bout. You’ll then see the park on your left shortly thereafter.

There’s an abundance of parking at the park via a large paved lot near the visitor center and monument, as well as multiple smaller pull-out lots dotted along South Shore Drive near Donner Lake. The lots do fill quickly in the summer and on weekends, so arrive early.

Fees are $10 per car and include same-day access to the lake, trails, visitor center and monument. You can pay at the ranger booth near the entrance, the digital self-pay stations near the visitor center or in the visitor center itself. Just remember to place the receipt on your dash.

There are no electric vehicle charging stations in the park, proper. However, just a mile or so down the road, near the freeway exit you took, is a Taco Bell behind a Chevron station. There are a dozen or so Tesla Superchargers back there.

Things to do at Donner Memorial State Park

Visitor Center

Many are inclined to skip visitor centers at state and national parks, but I implore you to not do so here. It’s small, but packed with information and detailed exhibits summarizing the history of the area, not just the Donner Party incident.

In it, you’ll learn about the Chinese immigrant workers who built the transcontinental railroad through this area (including Donner Tunnels), local Native Americans and the effects pioneering had on them, early pioneers who literally built the California Trail and of course, the Donner Party.

Pioneer Monument

Fully completed in June of 1918, the Pioneer Monument is dedicated to not just the ill-fated Donner Party, but all early pioneers. Present at the dedication ceremony were Frances Donner-Wilder, Virginia Reed-Murphy and Martha Reed-Lewis, all former members of the Donner Party as young girls.

The monument, including its base and cobblestone pedestal, stands at twenty-two feet, representing the culminate amount of snowfall during the harsh winter of 1846/1847, which entrapped the Donner Party. Placed atop the pedestal, a bronze statue of a pioneering family increases its total height by 17.5 feet.

Just above the base, within the center bottom of the cobblestone pedestal, is a plaque with a quote encryption. It states, “Virile to risk and find, kindly withal and a ready help. Facing the brunt of fate, indomitable - unafraid”.

At the rear of the monument is another plaque, this one providing a brief summary of what led to the demise of the Donner Party, as well as general locations of their cabins. This includes the Graves, Murphy, and Breen cabins.

Schallenberger Cabin Site

Marked by a rock and plaque is the spot of the former cabin occupied by 18-year old Moses Schallenberger, along with two other men. In 1844, these men were part of the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy party, who were the first pioneers to take wagons over the Sierra Nevada, effectively building the Truckee route of the California Trail.

Moses and the two others agreed to stay behind and guard several wagons when a nasty storm-system barreled through (sound familiar?). Due to alienating health, Moses elected to stay behind while the other two fled, fearing he wouldn’t have been able to survive the trek over the summit.

Moses survived in his small cabin for three months during brutal winter conditions before he was finally rescued. Several years later, the same cabin which sheltered Moses would go on to do the same for the Breen family, members of the ill-fated Donner Party.

The spot can be found along the paved path leading towards the monument. Just before reaching the monument’s rock-encircled grounds is granite boulder with a bronze plaque placed within it on the right side of said path. It was around that spot where the cabin was located.

Nature Trail to Murphy Cabin Rock Site

Another thing to do at Donner Memorial State Park is to check out the site which housed the Murphy family cabin, who were also members of the Donner Party. The trail is an accessible, flat loop clocking in at just under a half-mile.

Along the way you’ll traverse through a beautiful, peaceful meadow. Donner Creek meanders its way through the meadow, providing the calming sounds of water flowing over rock. There are several wooden benches dotted along the trail where you can stop and take in the scenery.

The peaceful, serene environment isn’t the only thing of interest along this trail. It also takes you to the site of where the Murphy cabin once stood. The spot is just a short time into the trail and is marked by a giant, blackened boulder with - you’ve guessed it - another plaque.

The plaque lists the names of the entire Donner Party and categorizes who perished and survived. Keep in mind that while the Donner family members are listed on the plaque, none of them camped at Donner Lake. Rather, they were several miles away at Alder Creek.

The rock served as the northern wall and fireplace for the cabin. It should be noted that while it’s referred to as the Murphy cabin, it also provided shelter to the Pike, Foster, and Eddy families at various timeframes. It’s also believed to be one of the various sites of cannibalism, but it was never officially substantiated.

When General Stephen W. Kearny arrived and discovered all of the partially consumed corpses, he buried them in the center of the cabin and set it ablaze, not knowing what else to do. Meaning, the very trail you’re taking past this rock is the believed mass-burial site of several party members.

Additional Hiking Trails

Aside from the Nature Trail, there are numerous hiking trails in and near Donner Memorial State Park. Two notable options include China Cove Loop and Split Rock Loop. Split Rock cuts around and through a campground and features a literal split rock as its main attraction.

China Cove Loop begins near the visitor center and meanders its way through tall pines before taking you along the sparkling shores of Donner Lake and back to the visitor center. Both trails are just a few miles in length and lean towards the easier side.

Donner Lake

Your day-use fee also includes access to the south side of Donner Lake. You can hike to it via the China Cove Loop hiking trail or drive. There are numerous pull-out style lots dotted along South Shore Drive you can use.

Once there, you can set up somewhere along the shore or enjoy a beach day at China Cove Beach. There are paddle board (and other watercraft) rentals at the lake as well. It’s no Lake Tahoe, for sure, but Donner Lake is popular for its scenic views and recreational activities.

Other Things to do Nearby

There are numerous activities to do near Donner Memorial State Park. Just a short drive up the pass are the historic Donner Tunnels. Trains used to pass through these tunnels. Now, though, you can hike through them and get an incredible view of Donner Lake while you’re at it.

Just a few miles drive away is historic Downtown Truckee. There, you can walk the streets of this former mining town while checking out historic trains, enjoy lunch at one of the many restaurants, shop, and take a docent-led tour of the original Truckee jail.

Additionally, you can drive west on Interstate-80 for about thirty miles to Emerald Pools, an incredible swimming hole in California. I would plan to do this one early, as the parking lot is fairly small and fills quickly, particularly on the weekends in summer.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t again mention the Donner Camp Site at Alder Creek. There, you’ll find a short, easy-to-follow hiking trail through a gorgeous meadow filled with towering pines and tall grass. This was the site where the Donner family were trapped.

No visit to one would be complete without the other, as they’re both equally important to the Donner story as a whole. It’s less than seven miles away, so it’s an easy visit and great way to stretch your legs if you’re on a road trip. You can read more about Alder Creek here.