Harrowing History at Donner Park

It’s the dark side of the California dream, one of the most gruesome stories of the Old West: the Donner Party.

In April, 1846, a group of 82 Midwestern settlers led by George and Jacob Donner left Independence, Mo., bound for California. Their wagon train rolled over the Great Plains and through the Rockies, but was seriously delayed when a shortcut leading southwest was anything but. The emigrants quarreled constantly. One man killed another. An old man was left on the trail to die.

A severe snowstorm in late October that prevented passage over the High Sierra forced the ill-fated party to spend the winter near present-day Truckee. Many perished. When their provisions and oxen were consumed, the emigrants ate their own dead. After seven of 15 people managed to make it through a snow-blocked pass in December, rescuers guided the remaining 40 members of the party through the pass.

Donner Memorial State Park is on the western edge of Truckee, in a wood where many members of the Donner Party spent their final days. Rangers report that about 200,000 visitors stop at the state park each year.

The park displays not only the dark side of human nature, but the beautiful side of Mother Nature. The state park and surrounding Sierra Nevada is a major recreation center, featuring camping, hiking, fishing and boating. In winter, the Truckee-Donner area is a favorite for downhill and cross-country skiing.

Donner Memorial State Park is south of Interstate 80 and west of Truckee. From downtown Truckee, follow Donner Pass Road two miles to a stop sign. Turn left and follow the signs into the park. Truckee is 33 miles southwest of Reno, 13 miles north of Lake Tahoe. There is a state park day-use fee of $2 per adult and $1 per child age 6 to 12.

Located along the three-mile eastern shore of 3/4-mile-wide Donner Lake, the park is a mellow place for a hike, a picnic or a little trout fishing. Rental cabins and motels line the western shore.

Outside the park visitor center is the tall Pioneer Monument. It measures 22 feet high, the height of the snow during that terrible winter of 1846-47. Inside the visitor center is the Emigrant Trail Museum, which offers a nice introduction to the natural history of the Sierra Nevada.

The state park doesn’t have an extensive trail system, but does offer two enjoyable family hikes. When snow covers the park, rangers link park roads and trails into a beginner’s cross-country ski route.

The park’s Nature Trail (half a mile round trip) begins just south of the museum. It meanders by a pine and fir forest to Donner Creek. An interpretive booklet is available at the museum.

Lakeshore Interpretive Trail (2 1/2 miles round trip) is even more educational. Eighteen newly installed trail-side exhibits illustrate the history of the Emigrant Trail and tell of the area’s geology and ecology, the Washoe Indians and recreational possibilities. The path leads to, and along, Donner Lake. There is some fine picnicking at trail’s end at the lake.

Truckee Area of the High Sierra / Lakeshore Interpretive Trail Where: Donner Memorial State Park Distance: 2 1/2 miles round trip. Highlights: Nice views of Donner Lake and High Sierra peaks. Degree of difficulty: Easy. Precautions: Snowfall can be heavy at times from December through April. For more information: Contact Donner Memorial State Park, P.O. Box 9210, Truckee, Calif. 96162, (916) 587-3841.