Enlarge  Zoom Out | Donner Lodges | Google map                        Truckee - Tahoe City
Topo Maps: Flora Lake, Donner Pk. - Mt. Judah, Castle Peak 

Activities:
Exhibits Museums:
Donner Memorial State Park Information Center 530.582.7892
USDA Forest Service Big Bend Visitors Center 530.426.3609
Gatekeeper Museum Tahoe City
Sights at Tahoe
See: Free Day Activity Page

Outdoor:
List of hikes / trails
Birding
Perseid Meteor Shower Information (Aug. 12 every year)
Donner Ski Ranch
Sugar Bowl Ski Area.
Royal Gorge ("North America's largest cross country ski resort")

Lodging:
Donner Lodges
- Sierra Club Clair Tappaan Lodge.
- Cal Lodge
- Ice Lakes Lodge, Serene Lakes, 530-426-7661, 1111 Soda Springs Road, Soda Springs.

Restaurants:

Restaurants in Truckee, 15 mi. from CTL
Ice Lakes Lodge, Serene Lakes, 530-426-7661, 1111 Soda Springs Road, Soda Springs 3.5 mi. from CTL.
Rainbow Lodge, (530) 426-3661, 50080 Hampshire Rocks Rd. Soda Springs (Cisco Grove), 9 mi. from CTL
Donner Summit Lodge (DSL)(Fred's Hof Brau), 22002 Donner Pass Rd., 426-3638, 6 AM - 10 PM

Weather:
Weather Channel | AccuWeather

Month

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Avg. High °F

60°

46°

39°

39°

42°

46°

52°

61°

70°

78°

77°

71°

Avg. Low °F

26°

20°

14°

14°

16°

20°

24°

29°

34°

37°

37°

32°

Record Low

7°

-10°

-28°

-21°

-33°

-9°

-3°

10°

18°

24°

25°

16°

Avg. Precip. (in.)

2.2

4.3

4.4

4.9

5.6

5.2

1.3

1.5

0.6

0.5

0.6

1.2

Snow - Soda Springs 1961-1998

Avg. snowfall (in.)

0

52

53

104

57

77

51

13

0.7

0

0

0

Avg. snow depth

0

3-18

18-45

40-80

80-100

90-105

90-50

50-10

10-0

0

0

0

See the news page for local print and TV news sources.

Shopping - Services:
Tahoe Forest Hospital. (530) 587-6011 Emergency-(530) 582-3206
  10121 Pine Avenue, Truckee
Soda Springs General Store - 21719 Donner Pass Rd. - 1.1 mi. (530) 426-3080 - 8 AM - 7 PM
Beacon Gas - Foodmart, Soda Springs, CA, (530) 426-9041, 8-9:45 Closed
Cheveron - mini-mart - I-80 Exit 165, Cisco Grove - (530) 426-3570 - 10.5 mi.
Albertsons - Hwy 89 S. & Deerfield Rd. (Crossroads Shopping Center), Truckee - (530) 587-5522 - 13 mi. -
Longs Drugs - Hwy 89 S. & Deerfield Rd. (Crossroads Shopping Center), Truckee - (530) 587-5770 - 13 mi.
Rite Aid, 11230 Donner Pass Rd. (Gateway Shopping Center), Truckee, (530) 587-5298 - 13 mi.
Safeway - 11290 Donner Pass Rd (Gateway Shopping Center), Truckee (530) 582-7950 - 13 mi.

Bar & Grills:

Donner Ski Ranch Bar & Grill (530) 426-3635, M-F 11-8, S-S 8-8
19320 Donner Pass Road

Summit Restaurant & Bar, (DSL - Donner Summit Lodge) (530) 426-3904
22002 Donner Pass Rd.

Gas (Prices as of June 4, 2006):
Beacon - Food Mart, 21719 Donner Pass Rd. & I-80 Soda Springs (exit 174)- 1.5 mi (530) 426-3080 - 8 AM - 7 PM
76 - Donner Pass Rd. & I-80 (exit 184) - 12 mi. (10¢ cheaper than Soda Springs)
Cheveron - Donner Pass Rd. & I-80 (exit 184) - 12 mi. (10¢ cheaper than Soda Springs)
Valero - Cisco Grove I-80 (exit 165) - 10.5 mi. - Open 24 hrs.
See Gas Prices for more current prices.

MAPS:
List of Topo and trail maps on the Donner - N. Tahoe Trails page.
Donner Summit map at this site

History:

1830's and 40's - Mountain men such as Kit Carson and Joseph Walker explore different
                  routes over the Sierra Nevada.
1844 - Stephens-Murphy-Townsend Party first wagon train crossing of Donner Pass.
1848 - California won from Mexico 
1848 - Gold discovery at Sutters Mill in coloma
1849 - 85,000 people migrated to California during the height of the gold rush
       40,000 came by ship, 15,000 via Mexico, and 30,000 by the California Trail
1850 - California becomes a state
1852 - Population 223,856
1861 - Transcontinental telegraph  
1864 - Dutch Flat & Donner Lake Wagon Road DF&DLWR   
1869 - Central Pacific Railroad completed - First transcontinental railroad. 
1913 - Lincoln highway 
1914 - Transcontinental Telephone
1927 - US 40 completed over roughly the same route as the Lincoln Hwy.
1964 - Last section of interstate 80 over the summit completed.

See History of transportation to California and timeline for more information.
Wagon, Highway & Railroad Routes