Backround On Donner Lake: Named after the Donner Party, a group of pioneers who became trapped in…read morethe Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter of 1846-47. The lake was originally known as Truckee Lake, but was renamed in their memory. The Donner Party's ill-fated journey and subsequent struggle for survival has made the area a place of both historical significance and tragedy Background On Visit: Reading articles about things to do near Lake Tahoe, we decided to visit this place. Location/Parking: Located along Donner Pass Rd.. Free parking on the west end of the lake. Ambiance: The views of the pine trees and water are very nice when you drive along Donner Pass Rd.. Probably be more enjoyable as a passenger. Perhaps next time. Entertainment: 1) Boating and Water Sports: Rent boats, kayaks, paddleboards, or hydrobikes at Donner Lake Watersports. 2) Fishing: Donner Lake is known for kokanee salmon and various trout species. 3) Swimming: Enjoy the lifeguard-staffed West End Beach Park or swim at the public piers. 4) Hiking Trails Donner Lake For Thought: Choose Donner Lake for a more serene and accessible experience with a unique history and warmer water. :)

Right off of I-80 in Truckee this is one of the coolest…read moreplaces of the Sierra. Donner Lake is a true mountain getaway for activities from boating & fishing in the summer to snowshoeing in winter. Although it's a fraction in size to its bigger sibling Lake Tahoe, it offers a more relaxed alternative and just as many options of things to do on and off the water. Don't miss Donner State Park while visiting the lake. It is a giant part of local history.

Had a wonderful time camping here for the weekend. Very hot this time of year but definitely was…read moreconvenient to be next to lists of trees and the Yurba. Tons of cool hikes in this area especially near where we camped. Definitely recommend this place for the price and the location.

The trail if coming from I-80, take the turnoff for Hwy 20. Then the turnoff to the Sierra…read moreDiscovery trail is off to the right approx 4.5 miles from I-80. Once at turnoff, follow the road for a bit, you will find a maintenance area and additional parking areas, then alittle farther down is the main parking lot. In the main parking lot there is a building with 2 clean vault toilets. There is a picnic area off to the right of the main parking lot. It took us about 45 mins to go along the entire trail, we made lots of stops along the trail. It's a fun and informative little walk the whole family can enjoy. We took our granddaughter who is 6 years old and she had fun she said on the trail. Her favorite sign along the trail was the information on the bobcat her favorite animal. We loved reading the informational signs along the way about the animals, plants and trees found in the area. While on your walk you can hear the rustling of the trees and the trickling water from the Bear river along the trail. There a few spots by the river to sit and just enjoy the sounds of nature all around you. Be sure to keep an eye out after passing the bridge for the small waterfall behind the bushes. Dogs are welcome on the trail and must be on a leash. Please be sure to clean up after your pet. Have a wonderful walk!

1 hour and 20 minutes drive from Midtown Sacramento…read more Easy nature trail. I even came across a sign that pointed to the "Easier Way" and after taking the other route, I can only think it's easier because my route had slight inclines thus making that easier route easier because instead of going up, you'd be going downhill. Right? It's mostly a flat trail. There's a small waterfall but you don't have a great view from the trail. You would have to go a little ways off trail for a nice photo.. (if you choose to) but it's there. I like the informative signs throughout the trail pointing out what kind of tree you're looking at or interesting blurbs relating to it. There are two restrooms in the parking area. They're like permanent portapotties.. you know, the kind that has a permanent fixture but the toilet opens up to a hole in the ground. No sink, no soap.

My family (20+ people) and I stayed here last August for a weekend and we had an amazing time! I…read morehad 5 sites booked all in the same area. All of the sites we had were nice a shady and easy to walk around it. The bear boxes were clean. The toilets were clean and FLUSHED! I had assumed we had vault toilets so it was a nice surprise. The people who run the campsites are very sweet and always checked in on us but gave us our privacy! We brought citronella candles because of the bees/bugs and it kept them at bay. None of us were stung, they are not aggressive at all. We cohabitated well for the weekend. The location is super close to the water and has the boat ramp if you like to do that. Overall, beautiful campsite. However - you do get cell service w/ AT&T or Verizon unfortunately lol. We are coming back again this year! Highly recommend.

Wife & I stayed here on a Thursday and Friday night with our 3 & 5 year old girls. We made…read morereservations online but it wasn't even necessary as the place was empty when we arrived at 2pm Thursday. Most of the good sites are first come, first serve and are not part of the online reservation system. We quickly discovered our reserved site did not offer much shade so we switched to one of the better first come, first serve sites. The host, JD, was very accommodating. The reservoir is beautiful and most of the sites are very well shaded. The campsites all have a nice picnic table, good size fire ring and charcoal grill. All were in good shape. IMO the campsites are spaced a little close together and there is not much cover in between. I normally prefer to stay at more remote non pay sites but since we now have two little girls, the running water and flush toilets were an absolute necessity. Bathrooms are kept clean and stocked. The area is beautiful and Bassi Falls is a short drive and an easy .5 mile hike each way. My little ones walked it no problem. Bassi Falls is very pretty with a fast running falls in Spring and several pools below to keep cool in. The kids will love it. I would rate this place five stars except for the fact that both nights, there were rude, inconsiderate and noisy campers. Quiet time here is 10pm-6am. First night (Thursday) another camper showed up and camped in the spot next to us. Now mind you, we're the only two campers in the campground with 40 sites and they camp right next to us. Unbelievable! Of course they were loud and up late (1-2am) talking and laughing. The next night, Friday, everyone starts coming in. There was an argument and swearing between 2 groups of campers over a parking space and then one of those groups who was 4 sites away from us down the road was up late partying and talking loud. Plus they had a barking dog. Nice! Finally at 11:30pm the camp host had to tell them to shut it down and they were quiet after that. I really like this campground, but I will only camp here Mon-Thurs nights. I guess I should add that to make this place a completely perfect campground, the camp host(s) should do a walk through of the campground every night around 10:15-10:30pm to make sure the campers are adhering to the 10pm-6am quiet time rules. To many yahoos come to campgrounds and think it's an open invitation to party and be as loud as they want with no consideration of their fellow campers.

One of my favorite hike in Tahoe National Park ! Sure it's about 5.5 miles RT but it's quite a…read moreworkout with the elevations gains and loose rocks but definetly worth it with all the stunning gorgeous view on top ! Will be back

Excellent hiking trail, except for about the first one quarter. All trails rates this as a hard…read moreTrail. What makes the trail hard is the continuous uphill grade, and about the last half mile. Just take your time, we're good hiking shoes, and bring water. You'll be fine. I did the hike mid October 2020. It was about 60 degrees at the trailhead, but the wind at the peak was at least 35 miles an hour. And it was cold. I went from short sleeves and short pants to a warm coat with a hood. I can't imagine doing this Trail in the snow, although apparently that's a thing. As with most steep trails, the trip up is tiring and the trip down is a constant battle with slipping. there's tons of cool geology along this Trail, although there isn't a lot written about it. Read up on the general geology of the Donner Pass area.

This review covers two different PCT routes-- The Castle Peak Trail and the Mount Judah Loop trail…read more CASTLE PEAK TRAIL: This moderately strenuous hike will take you to the top of Castle Peak, elevation 9,100 feet. Hiking poles are recommended, as there are sections of loose gravel along the trail, very slippery. Coming from the Sacramento area, you take the Boreal exit and turn left. MOUNT JUDAH LOOP: From Sacramento, get off I-80 at Soda Springs. Trailhead is just past the access road to Sugar Bowl, on Donner Pass Road (the old US Highway 40 and a Scenic Bypass Route). This lightweight hiking trail is a popular route for local cross-country runners. Get to the trailhead by 10:00 am on Saturdays, as the parking lot will get full quickly. We rated this trail (about 5 miles) as relatively easy-to-moderate in difficulty, but recommend poles if you don't like slippery rocks etc.

This is a review for the trail to Summit Lake - part of the Pacific Crest Trail…read more I like hiking but I'm a lightweight so I don't like long, difficult hikes. This was perfect. It was about 4.5 miles out and back, barely any uphill, lots of shade, and a beautiful lake at the end. I went on September 1st and the weather was perfect. I highly recommend this hike for families and anyone who wants a nice hike without a lot of sweating involved. Oh, and bring your dogs! We saw lots of pups on our way and we brought along 4 of our own too. It's fun to watch the dogs swim in the lake.

Nice softball field with restrooms and seating. The dugout are not enclosed and are not shaded so…read morebring your own.

Quick hike of a little over a mile to explore this area. There is a beautiful regional park and a…read moreriver trail that is well traversed. A nice walk Easy parking. Please come and create your own adventure.

Really interesting campground. It's very small, maybe like 30 campsites at most. But it's literally…read morea few hundred feet from the lake and right along the Lakeshore trail. If you're looking for more nature and traditional camping in the woods, this is not it. But if you just like being outdoors and next to all the restaurants and amenities of Tahoe City then it's awesome. Was great to be able to wake up, walk along the shore trail to enjoy the views and let the dog sniff around.

Nice campsite. A paved walking path leads to the lake, with beautiful views. The campsite is woodsy…read moreenough to feel like you're camping, but close enough to the town to enjoy local sites and eateries. (A coffee shop [Coffee Connexion] is just up the way, an easy walk in the morning.) That said, the site is very close to the road, so it's noisy, even at night. Earplugs recommended for a good night's sleep. The road quiets down considerably in the middle of the night, but that doesn't mean the occasional cargo truck won't come roaring by. The facilities are good, with restrooms and showers conveniently located. The men's restroom ran out of paper towels by Sunday evening, but was restocked by Monday afternoon. The showers cost quarters: minimum 50 cents for 5 min (although I times it twice, and it goes closer to 6 or 6 1/2 minutes). There are no lights at the site, except for at the restroom, so have flashlights or headlamps. There are bear boxes to stow food and smellies overnight and while you're away (bring a lock for when you're away). You can't wash dishes at the site spigots or the bathroom, so have an alternate dishwashing plan. The spigot provide good drinking water. Overall, nice campsite. I'd be willing to return.