Donner Memorial State Park

What a beautiful little place. Great visitor center, unfortunately some of it was closed off. The store inside was open and had cute souvenirs. Theres a clean restroom inside as well. It was raining and there was lots of snow that day. But overall, great memorial and worth the trip. We drove up from lake tahoe. It was about an hour at most. Theres a shell gas station near by as well.

Beautiful place, a wonderful dedication and reminder of those who forged trails for a better life. Take the easy trail to the right of the statue, there is a rock that was part of one of the Donner Party cabins. Its a short walk, stay to the right when you hit the fork in the trail, you will see a bench, follow that trail rock is on the right side.

This was the best state park I have ever been to. It was so clean and well managed. The campground was so awesome and the trails contained little to no trash. The ranger present was so kind and knowledgable about the park and Donner party. My wife and I cannot wait to return. The experience at this camp was the best.

Most of the visitor center is closed for Covid, but nice trails around the park are still open.

Great place for an afternoon hike on a hot day. Take a date, take a friend, enjoy. I recommend doing a little research on the history of the tunnels before you go and makes it that much neater.

Great little museum and about a 0.6 mile trail along the creek with picnic benches and a lot of parking... parking is $5... they also offer cool historical tours for an additional fee... definitely something to stop and enjoy!

The beaches are super nice!! Such a powerful monument!! Very well done, the trails are paved and nice!

Beautiful park. Nice little getaway from the city. Stroller friendly, tons of shade. Lots of different beach fronts. Dog friendly. Outdoor restrooms. Parking is only $10 and good for the day. Weekdays is much more quiet and calm. Water was very fresh.

This is one of my favorite places to visit during the summer time, I love to swim, kayaking and paddle boarding.

Amazing place for a hike. Low impact with lots to see. Chunky gravel to walk on the whole way, wear good shoes!

Did not know the Donners were one of the last families to attempt to cross the pass that year. Many people crossed successfully prior to this basically unlucky family. The Donners bumped into 22 ft of snow that winter. Hence the height of the memorial in the State Park.

Great place to relax and hike. Beautiful scenery

Fantastic state park. Easy walking trail by the lake. Staff in the Visitor Center are very friendly and helpful. Disappointed that some of the exhibits in the Visitor Center were closed due to the COVID restrictions.

Whenever I visit these Pioneer memorials it always just takes me right down to the ground. Because you get an inkling of what they had to endure in order to open up the West. The whole story is laid out here, of the way their endurance was pushed beyond the limits and you can see from the writings of a TWELVE YEAR OLD GIRL which seem like the words of an old sage just how impossible it was for them to come back from the experience. Prepare to be moved.

Our favorite go-to beach in the summer- only 1/2 hr drive from Reno. China Cove is family and kid friendly, lots of trees on the beach. Plenty of shade if you need it, several picnic tables, restrooms. Also an assortment of water toys to rent by the hour- kayaks, paddle boards, boats... Get there early for a good spot :)

Perfect place. After passing the park entrance park you can your vehicle road side and walk through the forest to the lake (no bathroom or benches) or if you want to rent kayak or canoe, go through the state park pay booth ( $10.00 for parking, bathroom and picnic tables available). Any place you choose to settle at is beautiful.

It is a beautiful walk. Would definitely recommend. Its a great way to spend the day with your family and learn about the rich history.

If you stay along the lake youll see big crowds having parties; if you go off on some of the other trails you may have them to yourself. Great bouldering, too!

Nice Place for Camping .. Good facilities for families. I would love to visit there once in every six month..

The museum and memorial are very nice to see. The history of the Donner party is hard to imagine without the perspective shared by the museums information. We walked a number of the immaculate trails. This is a great place to walk around the woods for those who have trouble moving around. We also enjoyed fishing at the lake and watching all the kyakers and boats on the lake.

The area is breathtakingly rugged and beautiful. The park is lovely, and the staff/rangers friendly and welcoming. The exhibit in the visitors center were closed, unfortunately, though the small gift shop was open. The monument is amazing, with the statue standing on top of a 22-foot base - the amount of snow the Donner party had to contend with. A d Donner Lake is gorgeous!

Great place to take the family. We love paddle boarding, swimming, and just hanging out here. We also ride in on our bikes and there is a great flat trail that is kid friendly

Really pleasant shaded beach with sand water trees and a view of Tahoe what more could you want

Donner is a beautiful place to visit. Summer is very busy and swarms of humanity decend upon this place. Plan accordingly. Parking is an issue so arrive very early. Please pick up your trash when you leave.

This is a nice place to come with your family. There is alot of people there and there is a lot of trash there. They could work on there trash problem. Otherwise they are pretty clean as well as flushing toilets.

Right off the highway and full of unique California history, this is a must visit park for anyone traveling through the area. There is a $5 fee to park in the parking lot, but the museum and nearby trails are free, making the fee totally worth it! The museum is great and has quite a bit of information as well as a good movie to check out. If you are looking for a short and easy trail, there is one that branches off from the monument and is only about a mile long.

It was great for taking pictures and an easy .5 mile stroll. Loved it.

Great place to visit and enjoy the lake because there it is not at crowded as Lake Tahoe.If you did not bring an umbrella or pop up tent, there are plenty of places to sit under the redwood trees and enjoy the views of the lake and forest.Picnic tables and BBQ grills are scattered around the main walking trail and right up on the lake itselfPublic restrooms are clean. Plenty of parking spaces are round the lake, including designated Blue handicapped parking spacesCost is $10/day per car.

Good place to cool down on a hot summer day. The water temperature is relatively cold in the early summer, but still much warmer than in Lake Tahoe. Also, nice walking trails along the lake. Main downside: mosquitos, and lots of them, so make sure to bring a repellent.

Such a great park!! The walking trail along the lake is beautiful. We had incredible weather and even better views! My kids absolutely loved exploring and climbing the rocks along the shore. People out boating, kayaking, paddle boarding. There were just tons of people our enjoying nature and it was a great day! Spent almost 5 hours and went by in a flash.

Too many out of towners! It is getting awful. Thank you internet for ruining good spots

Great Park to bicycle and and has a great little beach words you cant read equipment. Also the museum is at the park entry and it is really a great museum. All about the Donner Party

It was easy to get to from the Hwy and easy to get back on.There was a ton of history that was well documented. The staff was pleasant to talk to. The trails were clean and well kept. The kids were great during the informative 26 minute video about the Donner party. They touched a bit on the development of the transcontinental railroad and the Chinese Exclusion that I didnt know a heck of a lot about.This is the second time Ive gone to this museum. Theyre doing some expansion work it looks like as well.Oh and theres a campground over there too that I need to check out next summer perhaps. The gift shop was cool too and fairly priced. I was happy about that.

Beautiful lake. I think its better than lake Tahoe.. get there early because parking is tough during the weekends.

Donner historic tunnel trail is a lot of fun...easy hike if you dont do the climb up. You are walking on gravel/stone so the right shoes are important. The graffiti/art is cool, the views are great, but have a flashlight.

Trails everywhere. Walked as many as I could find.

Excellent place for camping very close stores for shopping, they rent boats, jet skies, cats and paddle boards, the staff is very polite and friendly.

Most of the exhibits at visitors center were closed. Trails around camp grounds were easy walk, nice nature hike.

Fantastic memorial with interpretive history that evokes the hardships suffered by the Donner expedition in that horrific mid-19th century winter. Even more interesting to ponder this while the park is closed and covered in snow during the COVID-19 outbreak. Combine with an excursion to nearby Donner Lake for fantastic unforgettable views!

We went on a short hike through the park. It is very nice. We walked through the camp ground they are spaced nicely apart and would be nice place to camp.

Campground is great...but it was pretty smokey.

Very beautiful view but made me sad because I read about info of Donner party on google. I just don’t understand why they didn’t going fishing to save lots hungry person! I do believe there has some fish into Donner lake!

So beautiful out there. If you havent been, go! It Gorgeous year round.

The park is good if you have plans for camping or boating/kayaking etc. in the lake. Nothing much to do if you are only going for a trail. They charge $10 fee

Absolutely beautiful, breathtaking park. The lake is clear and the park is very kid and pet friendly. We went for a day trip in our skoolie RV and it was only $10 to enter the park. There was plenty of parking, though we were visiting off-season, so that could be why. We toured the museum and my kids were able to earn their Jr. Ranger badges, swim in the lake and hike through the trees.

Very cool. First time here and am amazed to understand better the conditions they were in.

It was such a beautiful place to take a long walk!

Historically significant. Beautiful mountain area with forest

Clean recreational areas, port-a-potties clean and readily available with hand sanitizer. Ample parking. Able to maintain social distancing. Oh and in case you didnt know, the water will take your breath away. Beautiful day after being cooped up so long.

Lots of shade and much quieter than Tahoe and the water is warmer too.

What a beautiful place! The history here is fantastic and a nice little mini walking trail to explore.

Nice hidden little park in Truckee. The water is so blue! Kayaking was really fun

We really enjoyed coming to see the memorial of the Donner party who passed through here back in the day when there were no roads and grocery stores, and life was a whole lot more challenging. Such an interesting and incredible story, like so many in the area. Times have sure changed.We didn’t explore the rest of the park, but it looks like it would be a great place to come and spend some time with the family, and the dog, and get out in nature to really feel the wonderful benefits of nature. Lovely area. Great building with displays and info.

Awesome visitors center. Great movie on the Donner party but very tragic. It gives you the sense of our early days how early settlers/immigrants sought opportunity. There was little to no government assistance but people helped people. Highly recommend to walk the trail. Lots of day spots for barbq. $10.00 entrance fee but you can use the receipt to visit any other parks in the area that same day

Love it so much, it does have a beach for free!

Most beautiful lake Ive seen. High pine trees, cool water. Windy at timesDont be fooled by 80degree weather youll still get sunburned

Those that have stopped know what a significant peice of history this place is. Little known fact the Donner party memorial was presented to the public in 1918, the base is 22ft tall for the purpose of making sure the statue on top would never be under snow. 22ft is how much snow that was on the ground the winter of 1846-47 during the tragic encampment. There is plenty of camping, hiking, and cross country camping right in the park!

The park is well maintained and the lake is cool and refreshing. Its a nice alternative to Tahoe.

No where mentioned, you have to pay parking ticket/pass. We went there on the way to home. Park for half an hour and got a parking ticket for $71.

Memorable history of pioneers at that time. Every time we visit Reno, we pass by here specially winter time. Heavy snow day or a clear winter day. A good place to stop by and walk the trails and support our state park by donating. Summer time even better, early bird gets the spot and it can get little busy so parking is little bit hard to find.

Had a picnic and relaxed by the water . Well be going back again very soon. I highly recommend it. Beautiful clear water.

Just went for The first time, love this campground so Much . We camped right next to the creek . The pond is great for fishing and swimming too, Lake Tahoe is only about 25 minutes away . Great weather, breathtaking place. Will be back again !

Lovely and outstanding views of the area. In the winter the air is so clean.

Beautiful day! Nice trails walking with crocs. Anyone can come.

Great place for people who wants to enjoy the beach and the lake. Many parking spots and restroom for the convenience of people.

Great place to let kids play in the snow. Very beautiful scenery

Beautiful scenery, this is Donner Lake but we went through the Donner Pass on the California Zephyr and saw the whole journey. Rivers, trees, mountains and lakes around every corner. Hold your camera up to the window to cut down on reflection and this is a photographers dream journey.

Nice park with trails that follow along one edge of the lake. 10 bucks for a day pass. They also had camping spots but we just stayed for the day.

Went right after a snowfall and it was very beautiful. The snow on the ground and the sun shining through the trees makes this a nice place to take a relaxing walk. A great place to take a dog and have them run around as well.Plenty of different paths to take to the lake

The hiking trails are clearly marked. I saw a tree that had been felled by a beaver.

Wow! This place is a gem! Water super clear and peaceful. Great lake to visit when lake Tahoe is way too busy in the summer. This park has lots of tables and spots to relax and enjoy the scenery. We took our dogs and they loved running into the water. Great place to take your dogs and family.

A beautiful tribute. Its beautiful and sad at the same time. The statues are amazing. Its almost like they look into your soul. LOL I know just statues, right? but you can feel what they went through, almost, by just staring at them.Very nice area. Where you walk up to the statues is free parking. Theres a little gift shop, and some bathrooms. Just know that the bathrooms close at 5 in that area, and they will not let you go in anywhere else without paying $10.Theres a couple of picnic benches near the statue, so you can hang out with your family and enjoy some lunch. Not very far at all from the lake. And theres a nice little hiking trail thats very short and easy, even for children.Definitely worth the stop. Educational, peaceful and beautiful.

A fun park and dog friendly.

Very nice park, beautiful year-round. Some limitations on where you can take your dog in winter months, but otherwise very open trails. They have camping there also. We walked through in mid Feb (20) and it looks like the snow will be gone in just mere weeks this year. Oh, in the picture, its a marker for a pipeline that runs underneath this park. The things youll stumble across...

Great historical site to honor a piece of history. Beautiful river & forest surrounding.

Worth the 5m stop. Early in the morning there was no one to disturb us. Nice.

This park is great for climbing, mountain I biking, hiking, and camping! Easy parking and lots of it.

Beautiful park with a lot of picnic areas right on the beach

I like the way the smaller museum is organized. The material is accurate and entertaining to know. Although I might be a little bias being a history major. The best feature were the films.

Quiet, beautiful, well maintained and has easy parking. Perfect for a quick walk!!!

The park is so beautiful, the nature is amazing but you always hear the traffic.

Really cool spot to stop in and see the area where one of histories most gruesome fates came about for the party of westward settlers

Great place to enjoy the Lake and Tahoe National Forest.

Cant wait to go back and spend several days the next time

Beautiful! I just love the sierras

I live in Reno and we go up to Donner lake all the time. Lately its been real smoky here and it nice to get a breath of healthier air up by Truckee.

Beautiful place to relax and picnic. The water is crystal clear. A bit chilly but worth trying to get in.

Overall awesome park. The movie had great information but could be updated!!

Beautiful lake, stopped to take time to read about the sacrifices and survival of the Donner Party.

We will certainly come back for more. Beautiful views, hiking trials and beach activities

Beautiful, peaceful and not crowded.

Always like walking the trails here and swimming in donner creek

Great campground, from the trails, to the lake, the clean bathrooms, the campsites, the museum.. Only negatives are the trains running along the mountains edge above the campground at night, and the I-80 road noise. But thats not the campgrounds fault, and it cant be controlled.

Very pretty, lots of trails, great for riding bikes

Beautiful place, water was nice for 70 degree weather!

Thank you to California taxpayers for this most excellent California state park, camping, and Recreation Area. Newly-acquired area of Coldstream and Coldstream Canyon to near Union Pacific tracks has made this a jewel in the Truckee Tahoe area

Very nice park with fun lakeshore day use areas. Short walk to flush toilets.

Worth checking out. Very informative displays about settlers, native americans, and the evolution of transportation, but the movie could use some updating... a low-budget documentary from the ‘70s.

Nice clean and kept place. There is a public restroom and the people were friendly. Parking was $5.00 for the day

This is an incredible memorial. If you have middle age kids with you, learn the history before you go, and then have your children pretend that they are Patty Reed. Her dolly is in the museum, or was. If it is summer, walk between the campsites. Stand next to the statute, look up, and realize how high the snow was. We went when there was about 4 ft of snow. My kids took off all jackets, snow gear, and then we walked on the snow. After 15 minutes, they were tired. We got back in the car, warmed up, and we figured out how many times Patty had to walk on snow deeper than she was tall. This memorial is a testament to determination, a desire for a better life, and also what determined people can do. Determined in many ways both bad and good. It is a beautiful location, for me, incredibly peaceful, and then with the museum, educational.