Donner Lake–Emigrant Trail, 4 sights is a 13.5-mile out-and-back in Donner Memorial State Park near Donner, CA. The route reaches Donner Lake at the turnaround, 6.8 miles in. It climbs 2,659 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 58/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi5,994 – 7,832 ft · steepest grade: 21%14.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.30866, -120.33216
Nearest town Donner, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Donner Lake–Emigrant Trail, 4 sights
13.5 mi · ▲ 2,659 ft · 5 hr 50 min
Elevation 5,993–7,830 ft
Out & Back · Donner Memorial State Park
Trailhead: 39.30866, -120.33216
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 80°F / low 51° · precip 0% · wind 10 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:13 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading E.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Emigrant Trail, heading E.
- 2.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Lakeview Canyon Road, heading N.
- 1.4 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.5 miReach Donner Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading W.
- 1.6 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Emigrant Trail, heading S.
- 2.1 miContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading SW.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NW.
- 0.9 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
97% dirt3% gravel
Weather
ClearTemperature 80°F51°
Precip0%Wind10 mphUV8Humidity17%
Hourly temperature
80°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:13 PM
Tue
81°59°
Wed
85°55°
Thu
85°54°
Fri
85°55°
Sat
85°56°
Sun
86°54°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.9 mi in (~35 min). Leave by 7:18 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:49 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Lake Mary & Lake Mary Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 400 ft
- Mount Judah Viewpoint via Pacific Crest Trail 2.9 mi · ▲ 669 ft
- Mount Lincoln Road 3.9 mi · ▲ 1,156 ft
- Roller Pass & Mount Judah Loop via Pacific Crest Trail 4 mi · ▲ 822 ft
- Mount Lincoln–Mount Lincoln Viewpoint Loop, 3 summits 5.4 mi · ▲ 1,408 ft
- Emigrant Trail–Mount Judah Loop, 3 sights 10.8 mi · ▲ 2,320 ft
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