Donner Lake
Donner Lake, formerly known as Truckee Lake, is a freshwater lake in Northeast California on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the much larger Lake Tahoe. You can find it in Truckee. Around it, Lake Tahoe (21 mi) comes first on our list.
A lake inside Truckee
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 19°, with about 183" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Truckee
Donner Lake is inside Truckee, which has 39 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Sacramento
Sacramento is about 83 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jul and Aug
July and August are the mild months, with highs of 81–82°. When to go ↓
An airport 7 miles away
Truckee Tahoe (TKF) has airline service, about 7 miles from Donner Lake.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The year’s weather
Each month’s highs and lows around Donner Lake are below.
Donner Lake
Donner Lake, formerly known as Truckee Lake, is a freshwater lake in Northeast California on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of the much larger Lake Tahoe. A moraine serves as a natural dam for the lake. The lake is located in the town of Truckee, between Interstate 80 to the north and Schallenberger Ridge to the south. The tracks of the Union Pacific Railroad run along
Schallenberger Ridge and closely follow the route of the original transcontinental railroad. The historic route of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across America and US 40 follows the northern shoreline, then climbs to Donner Pass from where the entire lake may be viewed.
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 840 acres
- Elevation
- 5,935 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 35K a year
Nights near Donner Lake
Nearest for a night are Truckee (39) and Soda Springs (18).
- 1Lake Tahoe
- 2Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley
- 3Donner Memorial
- 4Sugar Bowl
- 5Northstar at Tahoe
- 6Mackay Stadium
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Donner Lake | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truckee 48% vacation homes | in town | — | 39 21 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 7 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 17,278 | $948K | C+ |
| Soda Springs 62% vacation homes | 6 mi west | 10 min | 18 11 hotels · 6 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel | 150 | $840K | — |
| Reno | 27 mi northeast | 40 min | 136 84 hotels · 33 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 9 RV parks | 283,621 | $548K | D |
| Tahoe Vista 68% vacation homes | 12 mi southeast | 20 min | 15 7 hotels · 8 lodges & cabins | 1,048 | $1,039K | — |
| Sunnyside-Tahoe City 66% vacation homes | 13 mi south | 20 min | 15 5 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 1,599 | $1,019K | — |
| Kings Beach 44% vacation homes | 14 mi east | 20 min | 11 4 hotels · 2 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel | 2,736 | $772K | — |
| Incline Village 42% vacation homes | 17 mi east | 25 min | 16 9 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 4 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 9,272 | $1,455K | — |
| Dollar Point 67% vacation homes | 12 mi southeast | 20 min | 8 6 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 1,477 | $846K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Nearby, too
Each of these is within 67 miles.
Big draw121 mi LakeLake Tahoe
29 mi Ski areaPalisades Tahoe Olympic Valley122 runs · 2,542 ft vertical
3in town State parkDonner Memorial State Park44 mi Ski areaSugar Bowl Resort94 runs · 1,452 ft vertical
62 mi LakePyramid Lake58 mi Ski areaNorthstar at Tahoe Resort125 runs · 2,311 ft vertical
67 mi DamOroville Dam
628 mi Stadium & arenaMackay StadiumPhoto credits
Lake Tahoe: Lara Farhadi, CC BY 2.0 · Palisades Tahoe Olympic Valley: Jonnyboyca at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Donner Memorial State Park: Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, CC BY 2.0 · Pyramid Lake: Rhalden, Public domain · Oroville Dam: California Department of Water Resources, Public domain · Mackay Stadium: Lanski, CC BY-SA 4.0
Donner Lake: what to know
Is Donner Lake in Truckee?
Yes. It’s inside Truckee, CA.
When is the best time to visit Donner Lake?
July and August, with highs of 81–82°.
How far is Donner Lake from Sacramento?
About 83 miles southwest of Sacramento, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Donner Lake?
Truckee Tahoe (TKF), about 7 miles away. The nearest big hub is Reno Tahoe (RNO), about 29 miles.
Where should I stay near Donner Lake?
Truckee (in town, 39 places to stay), Soda Springs (6 mi, 18 places to stay) and Reno (27 mi, 136 places to stay).
Truckee has the answers
Ask a question, or answer one, in Truckee’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.