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    Donner Lake

    4.8 (77 reviews)

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    Katie C.

    Always a favorite when driving through the area. Parking along the lake is free just be mindful no overnight parking. Docks numbered 1-37 are on a first come basis, some do offer shade. Be prepared on days that is it busy you might have a slight walk from where you park down to the pier.

    A breezy and sunny afternoon swim
    Ryan C.

    Can't beat Donner Lake for an afternoon swim at the piers, or a camping trip at the state park.

    Jessica W.

    Visited china cove beach near donner lake and it was so beautiful and plenty of places to sit and watch your children go in the water with floaties. Bring a picnic and there is plenty of parking and bathrooms

    Trish E.

    Always a special place to visit and spend a few days ! Beautiful clear, clean, and refreshing water.

    Donner lake
    Melissa S.

    I love Donner lake. It's so beautiful and peaceful. It's less crowed then Lake Tahoe and there is more parking then kings beach and it's free parking if you go to the West End. I believe if you go into the national park area there is a fee for parking. It's also a much larger area and more secluded in areas. We usually stay in Truckee so Donner lake is our lake. I highly recommend you visit the west end and enjoy the family oriented outdoor activity.

    Donner Lake Kayaking
    Andrea R.

    Rented Skidoo's and stayed in a vrbo cabin across from the lake. Bears everywhere with cubs, they ignored us as we did them Suggest headed up to Donner tunnels to have amazing views of the lake, and you're only a few miles from the Pacific Crest Trail. Spent a few days on the trail.

    Memorial
    Bobbie R.

    Such a beautiful location. Easy access from Hwy 80. Started at the visitors center. $10 entrance fee to the park area. There is lots of information and history here. The gift shop has great stuff. We walked to the memorial statue and around the trail. Then we walked around the lake. So beautiful. There were people there picnicing and just sitting by the shore enjoying the day. Pro tip: bring a lunch and drinks. There isn't any food here. Highly recommend.

    Heavenly view
    Terry K.

    I've been to Donner Lake so many times over the years and I've always stopped along the way to admire it's majestic beauty in all four seasons of the year. (My favorite is the winter with the snow- that is, if I had to choose) Needless for me to say, it is beautiful 365 days of the year. Of course, I tell my story and tale of Captain Donner and how his wagon train was stranded because of the extreme weather. As a passenger and driver through the Pass, I will say it is not hard for one to get stranded or even lost in the Donner area. Over the years, I've watched the lake front expand with homes and parks and places to picnic Drop down Donner Pass Road off Highway 80 going west and take the lower lake road around the way until you pass Donner Ski ranch and Sugar Bowl Resorts. You will surface back onto /into the city of Norden on Highway 80 West Enjoy the view!!

    Ronald M.

    Beautiful mountain lake and vacation spot. Serene and peaceful drive and stroll about, from lakeside shore to the very scenic drive to the Vista Point overlook a few miles up the winding mountain road. This lake is surrounded with numerous cabins and inns, as well as a number of lakeside piers; most taken over by individuals and groups of sunbathers. One young lady totally in the nude! But as with Lake Tahoe, traffic is backed up with road workers only allowing groups of vehicles to pass with a lead escort car taking turns for traffic going one way at a time. Prepare for traffic jams if planning to visit anytime soon. But well worth the rewarded scenic splendor of nature.

    Sabine M.

    I love coming here, it feels so peaceful between the walks you can do or hanging out with the pup by the lake to doing all the water sport activities! You can swim in the lake in the summer and it's beautiful!!! You can also camp here as well! There is parking around the lake or a parking lot by pioneer monument for 10$ day parking,the dog beach is so nice too!

    Teuila G.

    I grew up visiting Donner Lake with one of my best friends who grew up right off the lake. Her mom still has her house there, and we have fond memories of paddleboarding the lake and laying out on their deck until the fireworks for the 4th of July celebrations. My most recent visit was over the weekend. My kids and I will take a lake day over hanging at the pool any day. With summer vacation here for the kids, we're sun greedy, and we're already sun-kissed, but you can find us next to a lake somewhere. This park is well kept! If you get there earlier in the day, you can grill there and claim a table in the designated grilling areas. We grilled a variety of meats, but I was craving carne asada tacos and aguachiles. Bring your own charcoal and do clean up after yourself and your parties. There's already been double-digit bear sightings since the weather warmed up. If you don't bring lunch, there's an awesome general store that makes sandwiches and sells a variety of beer around the corner. Bring your bug spray and Claritin if you're allergy prone like myself. The mosquitos had their way with me, and the pollen was high. And don't forget your sunscreen and water as well. A big thanks to the park staff for keeping the park up. $10 all-day park use, and they sell local bundles of firewood at the park entrance. Please, please do your part and bring a garbage bag and pack out what you pack in. I love Donner 365 days a year; let's do our part and preserve it for our kid's kids. I've worked here in both extremes with the snow or in the heat. I'll be back sooner than later, and I'm bringing my bug spray!

    Fabiola R.

    *Aug 26th visit * Stopped by after my car overheated (bummer). There is a $13 fee per adult to get in but they have all the amenities that you could need , the water was so clear and beautiful! I enjoyed Donner Lake . Care:4/5 Quality :5/5 Cost:4/5 Cleanliness :5/5 Atmosphere:5/5 Parking:4/5

    Joyce T.

    Well developed lake with a lot of houses around it's perimeter. The special aspect here are the limited public piers along the lake. I was lucky to find an empty one and enjoyed my short private time there. When I left, a family materialized to take my place. It's a busy and well used lake. It is more polluted with trash and the water not quite as clear as other surrounding lakes. Lots of traffic and lots of parked cars all around the area, so caution to drivers and pedestrians. Pubs, restaurants and an ice cream shop waits to refuel you.

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    7 months ago

    Beautiful lake , bring some extra clothing in winter as it gets very wind and cold

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    Review Highlights - Donner Lake

    It's less crowed then Lake Tahoe and there is more parking then kings beach and it's free parking if you go to the West End.

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    West End Beach - Beautiful kid's park on the beach!

    West End Beach

    4.4(31 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    My favorite beach in the Tahoe Truckee area. I love it even more then King's beach. Why do I love…read moreit so much. Usually parking isn't an issues. This time there weren't any parking spaces in the lot. We went around twice, but no cigar. We ended up finding a place on the street across from the back entrance. We lucked out. I also love that it's not as busy as kings beach. This time it was packed, but we still found 2 great spots. One in the shade and another in the sun right there on the sand and steps away from the lake. They offer boat rentals: Pedal boats and canoes or kayaks, I wasn't close to tell, it was one or the other. They also have 2 lifeguards on duty. If you get the munchies or are thirsty thy have a snack-shack. Unfortunately they were out of hot dogs. And lastly they have pretty clean bathrooms. 2 stalls in one and a family bathroom. They also have tennis courts. And a Basketball court and play structure for the kiddos. If you want a picnic table you can reserve one or just arrive early. If you want pick of spots arrive early. If you want a parking spot luck out when someone leaves or arrive early. Summer time is a prime time to come. It's $12 per person during the summer. If you come before the 4th of July the snack-shack is closed, but it's free to enter and there is plenty of parking. We usually come before the 4th of July so we were surprised to see some many people and a packed parking lot, but we totally get it, It was a perfect day. In the 80's not to hot or cold. They have a swimming area which the lifeguards patrol. It's pretty shallow near shore. If you bring your paddle board like many people do you can do this outside the swimming area. You are allowed to bring inflatables. Someone had a giant unicorn and another party had a giant round party float. I'd return, but I'd go earlier in the day if I come in the summer time to ensure we get a parking space. We arrived around 1pm and I believe it opens around 10 or 11am. So we weren't so late. There were just a lot of early birds.

    Drove here from Sacramento for the day and had an absolute blast! Water was clear and gorgeous…read morescenery. The sand was actual beach-like sand and they had plenty of space to set up our small tent. Make sure to come early as finding parking is a nightmare. I believe we arrived around 8/9am on a Saturday and most of the parking spots were already taken.

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    West End Beach
    West End Beach
    West End Beach

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    Independence Lake Preserve

    Independence Lake Preserve

    5.0(4 reviews)
    8.6 mi

    Independence Lake is a beautiful glacier-cut lake located less than an hour's drive from Truckee…read more Here, you can borrow one of the small fleet of kayaks and fishing boats ~after first filling out a registration waiver~. No outside watercraft are allowed! This is to protect and preserve the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that are native to this habitat. Outside watercraft are risky because they may unknowingly transport foreign mollusks that are detrimental to the health of the trout living there. If fishing waders are used, there is a wader scrubbing/washing station located at the registration area. There are Nature Conservancy staff people on site if you have further questions. I found them informative and helpful. The loaner kayaks are located to the left side of the lake. The ones on the right side are for staff members. Every other week, ~only~ the kayaks are allowed out. Call to check the calendar schedule to avoid disappointment if you want to use one of the motorized boats. They require a motorized boater's card {available online at https://www.boat-ed.com/california/) There are single person and tandem person sit-on-top kayaks available. after 8AM Thursdays through Sundays. Loaner PFDs are also available in standard sizes. I recommend getting there early morning after opening while the water is calm. I was told that later in the day, the wind can pick up. This makes paddling a kayak to get backk across a lot more difficult. You may fish using barbless hooks. Only artificial lures are permitted. All trout caught must be released. Kokanee salmon are an invasive species here. Fishermen are allowed to keep those. Limit 5 per day, or 10 per trip, total. No live bait. There is no overnight camping on the Conservancy's grounds. There are campgrounds at nearby Webber Lake and Lake of the Woods.

    Independence Lake Preserve is an amazing place to enjoy the high Sierras. The best part is the free…read morekayaks that are available to anyone who signs a waiver. How cool and inclusive is that? You get to Independence Lake Preserve from highway 80 by heading north on 89 and then turning L at the "Little Truckee Summit OHV/Snowmobile" area, which is on a road labeled "07." It's the turn you'd take if you wanted to go to the Mt. Lola trailhead or Webber Lake Campground, which are also nearby. You'll need an offroad capable vehicle to make it over a water crossing and two miles of rocky road. There are lots of signs that explain that no watercraft are allowed, because Independence Lake is one of the two places in the world with a wild, self-sustaining lake population of Lahontan cutthroat trout. That's why they care so much about not letting folks put their own watercraft on the lake: they might unintentionally introduce invasive species. When we pulled up (with a canoe on our Jeep: we didn't know the rules beforehand), a ranger came out to verbally explain things to us and to let us know about the free kayaks to use. I was pleasantly surprised that there were not a lot of bugs out in July 2022. The last time we were in this area, which was maybe July three years ago, there were so, so, so many bugs. We came armed with bug spray but didn't need it! There are hiking trails around the preserve as well. The lake is large and beautiful, and the view of Mt. Lola is spectacular.

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    Independence Lake Preserve - Trees

    Trees

    Independence Lake Preserve
    Independence Lake Preserve - Trail

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    Trail

    Boca Reservoir - Near the damn..

    Boca Reservoir

    4.0(18 reviews)
    6.2 mi

    I went here with the boys for Father's Day a few years ago. The place has a few spots open for…read moremultiple groups. It is a first come first serve basis. Make sure to bring a table and chairs for yourself because the other areas do not have any place to put your guns and ammo on. Make sure you bring targets and support beams to hold your targets.

    Boca Rest Campground is located along the shores of Boca Reservoir, 15 minutes from Truckee, CA,…read moreand about 35 minutes to the north shore of Lake Tahoe. We chose this site out of last-minute necessity and proximity to Lake Tahoe. It's almost impossible to find last-minute camping, so we were happy to find a spot to car camp and throw some tents down after a long day on Lake Tahoe. The reservoir is very nice and water levels are still high thanks to the dam. Plenty of folks swimming, boating, and paddle boarding. The water temp was quite warmer when compared to other mountain lakes. The campground itself is very bare bones. You have a picnic table and fire ring with vault toilets. You'll want to look carefully at the site map when booking, as some of the waterfront sites are wonderful while others feel more like you're just camping in a dirt lot lol. There's very little shade here, so keep that in mind as well. If you're looking for privacy or quiet time, this is not the campground for you. The sites are squeezed in pretty close together and folks were quite loud into the night. Overall, the location and reservoir make it worth considering when exploring Truckee or Lake Tahoe. Sites are $28 with tax for 6 people. $5 for additional vehicles.

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    Boca Reservoir
    Boca Reservoir - Breakfast time..

    Breakfast time..

    Boca Reservoir

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    Donner Lake - lakes - Updated May 2026

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