Donner Memorial State Park

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.

We tend to avoid state parks in favor of smaller campgrounds, but the wildfires this year forced us to change plans last minute. For a large state park, Donner is really nice. The sites are pretty well spaced out, and the campground stretches out over 3 or 4 different sections, giving you the impression that you are staying in a smaller and less crowded area.

We stayed in site #72 (it was one of the only spots left available at the time), and it had decent coverage to the right, but was wide open to the left, and you could see several sites down from there, so not a ton of privacy. Water spigots spread throughout the campground (they are non-threaded, so bring a water bandit if you need to fill your RV water tank), and the bathrooms were clean and working.

Nice hiking around the whole area, and an easy 10-15 minute walk to Donner lake for water activities.

Super friendly Rangers greeted us and had us in, in 5 min or so. We booked last minute so we had to hop to 2 different sites. The loop 1-50 is the nicest (we had site 14) if you can book it early enough. We also stayed in site 99 which wasn't bad by any stretch. All sites have no hookups and there is no dump station (Like most CA State Parks). Restrooms were pretty clean and showers need quarters. We have a solar panel and a good battery so we were fine for our water pump, a small fan and charging devices the whole stay. AT&T and Verizon were very usable at both sites. Noise is a mixed bag with some people being clueless about their dogs and kids noise level.

Stopped overnight en route to Eastern NV on I85. Lovely shaded campsites most with space for privacy. A few have enough sun for solar. Plenty of empty sites first come first served here in the end of September. Gas and convenience store at exit. Short hike to scenic Donner Lake. You can hear highway from a distance but quiet inside my trailer. I would come back in warmer weather to explore the lake.