Donner Pass is an 7,056-foot-high mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, above Donner Lake about 9 miles west of Truckee, California. Like the Sierra Nevada mountains themselves, the pass has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west. The pass has been used by the California Trail, First Transcontinental Railroad, Overland Route, Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway, as well as indirectly by Interstate 80. The pass gets its name from the ill-fated Donner Party who overwintered there in 1846. Today the area is home to a thriving recreational community with several alpine lakes and ski resorts. The permanent communities in the area include Kingvale and Soda Springs, as well as the larger community below the pass surrounding Donner Lake.
| Traversed by | California Trail, Lincoln Highway, (until 1964), Overland Route, (Indirectly, See below) |
| Location | Nevada County, California, United States |
| Range | Sierra Nevada |
About Donner Pass
Life in the area known as Donner Pass has always been dangerous as its history has always been linked to the practice of cannibalism. An old settler of the region know as George Donner once created a community of cannibals there back in the 1840's, however the question is did they ever leave?
Achievement of Donner Pass
This film first premiered in November 2012. Parts of this movie was filmed in Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, Monterey Park, and in Studio City, California.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Donner Pass
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad - The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was located in Northern California's Nevada County and Placer County, where it connected with the Central Pacific Railroad. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Company incorporated on April 4, 1874, and was headquartered in Grass Valley, California.. Mountain passes of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.).. Donner Party.. Rail mountain passes of the United States.. Southern Pacific Railroad.. Lincoln Highway.
Latest information about Donner Pass updated on July 28 2021.
