Donner Summit Area: Map

This inspirational region offers some of the most scenic areas along the spine of the northern Sierra Nevada. Yet, you can enjoy easy access to the Sierra Crest from I-80.

From the Crest there are three popular mountain top scrambles nearby and suitable for families with older children. Elevations remain consistently high throughout this Area even in the valleys near the Crest. Donner Pass is the low point of 7200’ along the divide and Mount Lola the highest at 9148’. Vegetation is windswept, hearty trees, brush, and grass -- with rampant wildflowers in season. Trees are near water in dense pockets with meadows and brush fields sprinkled throughout.

Although high-mountain lakes are not as concentrated as in Lakes Basin or Grouse Ridge, several larger lakes offer fishing, and numerous smaller riparian areas are rich with lush, high elevation plants and wildlife.

Four of five Sierra Club huts available for year-round backcountry travel along the Sierra Crest are located in this area. Reservations can be made through the Club’s base of hut operations, the Clair Tappaan Lodge (530-426-3632). Huts are never locked and remain available in emergencies. Easter through Thanksgiving, reservation arrangements are informal with payments (2001 rates: $10/person/night) reliant on honor system for anyone. During summer, most people prefer sleeping under the stars, but the huts are popular in the winter.

Two popular segments of the Pacific Crest Trail thread through the area end to end. Hiking or horseback riding is the only travel along the Pacific Crest Trail. OHV roads access White Rock Lake and Castle Valley and only a scattered sprinkle of primitive roads dead-end within the fringes. Mountain biking opportunities are sparse, but the Hole in the Ground trail was built with Mountain bikers in mind and is part of an epic-sized loop.

Our mapped area referred to as the Donner Summit stretches from Tinkers Knob to Mount Lola, Donner Lake over the Crest to the Lola Montez Lakes. Lola got around a lot.