Donner Peak–Donner Peak Viewpoint, 9 sights is a 7.4-mile out-and-back in Donner Memorial State Park near Weeks Tract, CA. The route passes Beaver Pond, Snowshed, Snowshed North Face and 2 more before reaching Donner Peak Viewpoint at the turnaround, 3.7 miles in. It climbs 1,906 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi6,073 – 7,999 ft · steepest grade: 25%8.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road 39.32388, -120.30111
Nearest town Weeks Tract, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Donner Peak–Donner Peak Viewpoint, 9 sights
7.4 mi · ▲ 1,906 ft · 3 hr 25 min
Elevation 6,073–7,998 ft
Out & Back · Donner Memorial State Park
Trailhead: Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road · 39.32388, -120.30111
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 86°F / low 52° · precip 0% · wind 10 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:13 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Beaver Pond.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Original Lincoln Highway Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading SW.
- 0.3 miPass Snowshed.
- 50 ftPass Snowshed North Face.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left, heading S.
- 150 ftBear right, heading W.
- 350 ftBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading W.
- 0.9 miPass Pacific Crest Viewpoint.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Mount Judah Loop, heading SE.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Emigrant Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Donner Peak Spur, heading SE.
- 250 ftPass Donner Peak Viewpoint.
- 0.1 miReach Donner Peak, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Emigrant Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading NE.
- 0.6 miSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading W.
- 1 miSharp right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading NE.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 350 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Original Lincoln Highway Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading NE.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
73% dirt1% gravel26% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 86°F52°
Precip0%Wind10 mphUV8Humidity20%
Hourly temperature
90°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:13 PM
Tue
86°62°
Wed
86°58°
Thu
88°58°
Fri
88°59°
Sat
89°59°
Sun
90°57°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~115 min). Leave by 5:57 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:42 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Trailhead
- Beaver Pond & Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road 2.2 mi · ▲ 430 ft
- Tunnel Rock–Snowshed, 5 cliffs 3.2 mi · ▲ 906 ft
- Snowshed East Face–Snowshed North Face, 4 cliffs 3.2 mi · ▲ 894 ft
- Mount Stephens–Snowshed, 6 cliffs 4.7 mi · ▲ 1,199 ft
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