Donner Memorial State Park sits on the western shore of Donner Lake, just south of Truckee, and commemorates the ill-fated Donner Party emigrant group who were trapped here in the catastrophic Sierra Nevada winter of 1846–47. The Emigrant Trail Museum tells the story in detail and without sentimentality — the exhibits cover the journey west, the decision to take the untested Hastings Cutoff, the October snowfall that trapped the party, and the long months of starvation and survival strategies that followed.
Beyond the history, the park itself is beautiful. Donner Lake is a glacially carved basin framed by pine-covered slopes, and the picnic areas, swimming beaches, and hiking trails along the shoreline are popular in summer. In winter, the park's meadows and lakeside offer excellent cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and the campground stays open year-round. Allow two hours to do the museum justice and walk down to the lake.