$35 / night

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Nature

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People

Established Camping

Donner Memorial State Park Campground

16 Reviews

Warning 2 Alerts are In Effect

There are 2 alerts for this campground. Camp safely!

Ridge Campground will only have one restroom building open due to ADA work on the other.

Due to a major project at Donner Memorial, Creek Campground will be closed to camping in 2024.

About

State Park

Donner Memorial State Park offers the summer vacationer opportunities for Donner Lake camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, water-skiing, and hiking. In winter, visitors can cross-country ski and snowshoe on trails and enjoy the season's beauty. Visitors are welcome year-round at the Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center and at the Pioneer Monument, built to commemorate those who emigrated to California from the east in the mid-1800's. The Visitor Center features compelling new exhibits that tell the stories of the Emigrant Experience, the Donner Party, the Land of the Washoe, Chinese construction of the railroad, and early motoring adventures over Donner Pass.

Reservation Info

Closed Thanksgiving, Dec 25, and Jan 1

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Location

Donner Memorial State Park Campground is located in California

Address

12593 Donner Pass Road
Truckee, CA 96161

Coordinates

39.3205484201 N
120.236570622 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Stay Connected

WiFi
Available
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Available

Site Types

RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)

Features

For Campers

Picnic Table
Phone Service
Reservable
WiFi
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Pull-Through Sites

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$35

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General Info

Reservations

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Denise G.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 29, 2023

Beautiful State Park with access to Donner Lake

Nice state park right next to the Donner Memorial Site and Donner Lake. We were in site 133 which was not the easiest site to get in with a trailer. Rocks, trees and tree trunks make it a challenge but also part of the beauty of the park. We park our truck at an angle in front of the trailer to fit on the site. Sites are closer than what I prefer (I don’t like to see my camping neighbor) however each site is good size and would accommodate a few tents. A freight and passenger railroad track can be seen and heard on a hill high above the campground. Showers require tokens. 1 token for three minutes which can be purchased at the ranger station at the entrance. Although there is a leash rule for dogs not many people were following that rule. We were only a few sites away from a 1.4-mile trail that goes to Donner Lake, or you can drive your car down to the lake day area without any extra fees. There are boat rentals and rafting tours at the lake. The Donner Memorial cabin site and museum is next store and there is no fee, however there is a$10 parking lot fee. We stayed for a week and besides going down to the lake several times we went to Truckee, the Truckee Farmers Market on Tuesday, the Donner Museum, Donner Summit and Lake Tahoe. Would have loved to stay another week.

Site133

Month of VisitSeptember

(4) View All

Laura M.

Legend

Reviewed May. 11, 2023

Check website, may be closed Spring 2023

We stopped by here in May looking for a spot for the night but both the campground and the day use areas were closed. The visitor center is open though ($10 parking fee for visitor center parking lot).

The campground is really beautiful though and looks like a great place to camp. It's close to Hwy 80 so there's road noise though. It's right next to the visitor center, which is neat.

We did have cell reception here.

Month of VisitJune

(13) View All

kathy C.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 30, 2022

Easy Access to Donner Lake

Beautiful campground, big campsites, great trails for walking & biking. I’m not sure if it’s everywhere in the campground but there is a constant sound of road noise from Highway 80. It’s a popular campground can be tough to get reservations last minute.

Sitesite #123 paved pad, level.

Month of VisitAugust

Jon F.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 3, 2020

Perfect balance

This state park has enough sites that are spread apart enough to give some distance. Not all of them but enough if you choose wisely. We also loved the fact that there was a creek that goes through the area with a nicely maintained path and foot bridges alongside. Conveniently located a few minutes from Truckee which has everything you would need from gas, restaurants, hardware store and even a DMV. The lake itself is also a nice touch to be able to swim or fish.

Debi R.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 23, 2020

Quintessential Sierra Camping

Great family camping. Lots to do within the park: swimming, biking, hiking, paddle board rentals, fishing and great campsites. Most campsites are pretty big. Campground has flush toilets and showers. Easy access right off highway 80, close to town but still feels like you’re in a remote campground under the trees. Our favorite campsites are #116, 118 and 120. When we get together for family reunions, the best group campsites are 104-106.

Site116, 118, 120

Month of VisitSeptember

Rachel M.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 20, 2019

Beautiful!

We loved this place! Hard to get reservations. Big spaces! Great trails! A lot to do!

Kat S.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2018

Like a Norman Rockwell painting.

The lake is an iconic alpine lake nestled in the Sierra Nevada’s. Sugar pine and Lodgepole pines dot the campgrounds and birds are plentiful. There are giant pine cones scattered everywhere and woodpeckers can be heard throughout the morning. This is a great spot for families or folks looking for something right on the lake. There is a somewhat wind sheltered creek with picnic spots available that is great for kids or beginner paddleboarders who need to get started out of the wind. Along the lakeshore there are beautiful old wood stoves for cooking. It gets crowded and the dog friendliness is marginal. The lake is slightly chilly but a great swim on a hot day. The campground has bathrooms and there is a visitor center with a museum and gift shop. Reservations fill up in the summer, for weekends especially.

Month of VisitAugust

Teresa J.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 9, 2018

Beauty and quiet just minutes from the hustle and bustle

This campground offered everything I needed and nothing I did not. My tent site was perfect. The lake was absolutely stunning. I rented a kayak and took a lovely paddle enjoying the serenity and beauty of the High Sierras. Around my campfire, I could here birds singing and wind blowing through the trees. The funny thing is that just down the road is the thriving tourism of Truckee, CA. When I wanted to be social, I went there and had an amazing time too.

Month of VisitAugust

(4) View All

Eleni R.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 5, 2018

Family Friendly With Lots to Do

Donner Memorial has three camps within this large campground. Two of them have quick walking access to the lake. One is situated between. Most campsites are large. Kids age 0-99 rule the day as there are boulders all around for to climb, a lake to swim in, trails to hike and paved loops for riding bikes. The interpreter center is informative.

Month of VisitAugust

Michael J.

Legend

Reviewed Jul. 31, 2018

Excellent

Very nice campground that is very close to the lake. And when you've had enough lake, don't forget to drive up to Donner Ski Ranch, the drive is spectacular!

(8) View All

Susan S.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 30, 2018

Lake access, trails, amenities, State Park, Museum/Vis Center Fun!

Reservable sites, larger campground. Showers, trails, Visitor's Center and Museum, great access to Donner lake, boat rental concessions right there. Ranger programs. This is a really fun family campground suitable for tents or trailers/RVs. You can swim, picnic, boat, see eagles hunting, close to Truckee. So many things to do in the area. Close to Lake Tahoe. Fun Cycling too.

Month of VisitJuly

Alyssa S.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 19, 2018

great place for groups

what have Church camp here almost every summer. it's a great place for each family to have their own space but also be close enough to spend time together! not to mention the fishing on donner is great

Patricia O.

Guide

Reviewed May. 20, 2018

One of the best in the state

Great place to camp. Close to Truckee so you can easily get supplies. Lots of trees give a private feel even though it is a busy campground. Good sized camp sites for the most part (I recall one loop has smaller ones) and bear boxes that will hold your cooler no problem. Showers, too. RV, tent, group, boat-in sites all available here.

Just a short walk to the lake and there are easy walking trails. There is a nice museum/visitor center and lots to do in the area.

Month of VisitAugust

Kerry V.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 14, 2018

Clean, secluded, beautiful.

Great campground. We were in a large site and had pleasant neighbors. The restrooms were SUPER clean with flush toilets and hot showers. Short walk to Donner Lake and Donner Museum. There is a small store near the campground, but it doesn't offer much in the way of cooking real meals, just snacks. We did venture forth to a hardware store when we discovered our gas cooking stove had a broken valve. Lots of choices but $$. We made due with cooking over the campfire. Moutain region with cool breezes and warm days in summer (we went in July), but pleasant for sleeping at night. Hot tent during the day! Great pizza place in Truckee if you want to go out for a meal at Village Pizza. Some of the best pizza I have ever eaten, but be prepared to wait a but, but pleasant atmosphere. We are going back in September and will review again. Oh, also GREAT breakfast place nearby The Squeeze Inn ... call ahead for breakfast as the waits can be long.

Month of VisitAugust

Chris K.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 7, 2017

Great One Night Stop

We are traveling to Idaho and stopped here for the night. I am in a wheelchair so we had a handicap sight. All the sights were clean and had nice fire pits with a grill grate. Close to the 80 freeway but the noise wasn't bad. Definitely coming back to camp here and explore!

Site124

Month of VisitSeptember

heidi T.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 20, 2017

Donner Memorial - Lake Tahoe

great campsite relatively close to lake tahoe. i would definitely recommend this as an alternative if you are unable to get a campsite in tahoe as those book up quickly. fortunately or unfortunately you are very close to a small town, so you can drop in for food and drinks.

Site092

Month of VisitJuly

(5) View All