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Run Donner Lake

May 23, 2012 by Helen 11 Comments

The 7-mile loop around Donner Lake is my go-to road run during the late Spring and Fall. It is scenic, fairly flat, and easily accessed from Donner Pass Rd. in Truckee.

Donner Lake and West End Beach at dusk

Best for:

  • Fairly flat road run (by Tahoe standards)
  • Donner Lake and mountain views
  • Easy parking and restroom access
  • Going for a run while the family plays at the lake
  • Marathon training (do laps), especially during late Fall

But watch out for:

  • Traffic during peak summer months (July & August)
  • Snow in Donner Memorial Park during the Winter months

Route

The 7-mile road run around Donner Lake offers mountain and lake views within the Town of Truckee

Click here for an interactive map and GPS data for the route.

The loop is pleasant to run in either direction, starting at either end. The run is right at 7 miles if stay on the road through Donner Memorial State Park. You’ll shave off about .3 miles if you opt for the crushed granite trail through the park. Below I describe the run starting from West End Beach and traveling counter-clockwise. This is the normal route for the Donner Lake Turkey Trot.

West End Beach, counter-clockwise

View from Donner Pass Rd.

Get to West End Beach by traveling West on Donner Pass Rd. from Truckee. Turn left on South Shore Rd. at the end of the lake and before Donner Pass Rd. heads uphill to Donner Summit. Parking is free, but there is a fee to enter the park between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

From West End Beach, head south then east on South Shore Rd. Gentle rolling hills take you generally uphill along the “backside” of Donner Lake. Traffic on the backside is very light in all but the peak Summer months. It is shady and cool back there, and prone to slick roads or black ice in the late Fall and Winter. After 2 miles, you drop down a short, steep section to the end of the road and a short paved path that enters the backside of Donner Memorial Park. Be advised that the path and road through Donner Memorial Park are NOT plowed in the winter.

Follow the road through the park, hugging the lake / staying left until you reach the entrance kiosk, where you go left to Donner Pass Rd. Alternately, you can take the crushed granite trail (between the road and the lake) through the park, and follow the trail over the bridge then out to Donner Pass Rd. The trail gets crowded with slow-moving pedestrian traffic during the Summer months.

There is considerably more traffic on Donner Pass Rd. than the backside of the lake, but the paved bike lane provides adequate space to run. Continue west along this flat to slightly-downhill road back to West End Beach. Reward yourself with a cold plunge in Donner Lake!

Route Variations

There are several parking options around Donner Lake. The closest parking to Truckee is just outside Donner Memorial State Park, where you can park head-in on the dirt (assuming there is no snow) for free. On-street parking is also available around the lake from May through October – just be sure you don’t park in the bike lane.

If you have member access to the Tahoe Donner Beach Club Marina, then park there and enjoy the run in either direction around the lake. Enjoy a cold plunge and snack before going about your day!

Train for the big climb at the Lake Tahoe Marathon by adding a run up Donner Pass Rd. toward Donner Summit to one of your laps. (This is only advisable during low traffic season.)

Or, add mileage by exploring the crushed granite and dirt trails that wander through Donner Memorial State Park.

Restrooms

  • Donner Memorial State Park, located at the east end of the lake on Donner Pass Rd. The restrooms near the museum are open year-round. Additional restrooms and porta-potties are located throughout the park along the the running route. (These are closed for the winter.)
  • Donner Lake Boat Ramp, located at 15511 Donner Pass Rd. Restrooms are closed for the winter.
  • Shoreline Park, located midway on the North Shore / Donner Pass Rd. Restrooms are closed for the winter.
  • West End Beach – located inside the park, so there is a fee to enter unless you are outside operating hours. Restrooms are normally open when there is no danger of freezing.
  • Construction porta-potties – there always seems to be at least one or two construction sites along the lake. If you gotta go, you gotta go…

Enjoy your run, and feel free to leave a reply below if you have questions or corrections!

Filed Under: Runs

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Garrett says

    May 24, 2012 at 10:52 am

    Good review. My wife and I used to [bike] ride this loop frequently when we lived at the West End. I would think you could add some good hill climbs by running up Cold Stream Rd (SSE of Donner Memorial State Park)

    Reply
    • Helen says

      May 24, 2012 at 3:35 pm

      Thanks for the note! How lucky that you got to live at West End!

      Reply
  2. Claire says

    September 4, 2014 at 8:47 am

    I’ll be at Donner Lake next week, is this route marked? Is it South Short Drive to Donner Ct to Donner Pass Rd? Or is there a separate trail along the lake?

    Reply
    • Helen says

      September 4, 2014 at 10:37 am

      Hi, Claire,
      The route is not difficult to follow, so long as you stay along the lakeshore. South Shore drive is on the road, but there is very little traffic. Donner Pass Road has a bike lane that you can run in. That only leaves the section through Donner Memorial State Park, and there you can take the interpretive trail, which is separate from the road. See that description here: http://www.tahoerunco.com/2012/10/run-donner-lake-memorial-park/

      Hope this helps,
      Helen

      Reply
  3. Beth says

    June 14, 2015 at 5:06 pm

    I am so happy to find your blog as we are spending a few weeks up in Tahoe/Truckee in July and was looking for cycling and running recommendations. Look forward to trying out some of these routes. Please look me up if you are in AZ and need hooked up with some ultrarunners! Happy Trails!

    Reply
    • Helen says

      June 15, 2015 at 9:54 am

      Thanks for the note! Also check out our non-profit running club for group runs and more: http://www.donnerpartymountainrunners.com

      Reply
  4. eric says

    August 29, 2016 at 9:18 am

    Happy to have landed on your website. I am visiting Tahoe region and your suggestions have been helpful as I was looking for a place to run my Sunday long distance running session. Loved the Donner lake loop! No much traffic at the end of August. Info for runners: “fairly flat” means “a few hills” on South shore road which make it a little more challenging if you have a pace to keep but definitely a great place to have quality training.
    Many thanks for the advice.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      August 29, 2016 at 5:26 pm

      Eric,
      Thanks so much for the kind words… it encourages me to finally get back to working on some of these routes. Hope you enjoyed your time in our little slice of paradise!
      H

      Reply
  5. Ned says

    September 20, 2016 at 9:24 pm

    Thanks for the route rec! This was great.

    Reply
    • Helen says

      February 2, 2017 at 8:08 am

      Thanks for the note… it encourages me to get things updates on the site… eventually 😮

      Reply
  6. Ange says

    July 14, 2017 at 10:15 am

    Would you say this route is “stroller” friendly?

    Reply

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