Donner Lake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Donner Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | northeast California |
| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | moraine-dammed lake |
| Primary inflows | Summit Creek, Gregory Creek, and many springs[1] |
| Primary outflows | Donner Creek to Truckee River[1] |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 4.38 km (2.7 mi) |
| Max. width | 1.0 km (0.6 mi) |
| Surface area | 3.40 km² (1.31 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 100 m (328 ft)[1] |
| Surface elevation | 1809 m (5936 ft)[1] |
| Settlements | Truckee |
Donner Lake is a freshwater lake in northeast California on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada and about 11 miles northwest of the much larger Lake Tahoe. A moraine serves as a natural dam for the lake. The lake is located in the town of Truckee, sandwiched between Interstate 80 to the north and an Amtrak railroad station to the south.[1] The historic route of U.S. 40 follows the shoreline, then climbs to Donner Pass from where the complete lake may be viewed.
Both the lake and the pass were named after the unfortunate Donner Party, which spent its fateful winter near the lake in 1846. A state park is on the east end of the lake and provides great campsites with access to several different beaches. There are also various hiking trails in the park for visitors to enjoy.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e White, Charles. Once around Donner Lake. Donner-Lake.com. Lake Tahoe On Line. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
[edit] External links
- 1952 Donner Pass Newsreel - See dozens of train passengers marooned at Donner Pass for days after record snowstorm.
- Trailspotting: Snowshoe Donner Lake Hike description & photos
 |
This Nevada County, California-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
