California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

trails radiating out from

High Camp.

The Drive » Backtrack out of

Squaw Valley, turning left onto

Hwy 89 and driving north for

about 8 miles. Before reaching

I-80, turn right onto W River St

for another mile to downtown

Truckee.

4 Truckee

Cradled by mountains

and forests, this speck of

a town is steeped in Old

West history. Truckee

was put on the map

by the railroad, grew

rich on logging and ice

harvesting, and found

Hollywood fame with the

TRIP HIGHLIGHT

Start: 4 Truckee

Donner Summit is where the infamous Donner Party

became trapped during the fierce winter of 1846–47.

Their grisly tale of survival – and cannibalism – is

chronicled at the museum (h10am-5pm, closed Tue &

Wed Sep-May) inside Donner Memorial State Park

(%530-582-7892; http://www.parks.ca.gov; 12593 Donner Pass Rd;

per car $8; c), where tree-lined Donner Lake offers

sandy beaches. Further west, popular municipal

West End Beach (%530-582-7777; http://www.tdrpd.com; adult/

child $4/3; c) has a roped-off swimming area for kids,

and kayak, paddleboat and stand-up paddle boarding

(SUP) rentals. The state park and lakeshore are just a

few miles east of Truckee via Donner Pass Rd.

DONNER LAKE

DETOUR:

MARTYN GODDARD / CORBIS ©

CENTRAL.CALIFORNIA.

18

(^) LAKE TAHOE LOOP