There are two primary access points to the tunnels: China Wall, and the west end of Tunnel 6. There are three places where you can park to access the Donner Tunnels. You can click on the image or this link to pull up a full Google map. I do recommend that you save this as the cell signal on the pass is iffy. Starting from the west end at Tunnel 6, the trail goes east through several additional tunnels. This should take you hours if you do a lot of stops for pictures.
However, you can do as much or as little as you have time for. The tail is primarily a wide dirt pathway, but expect some rocks and rough ground. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes. You will be walking through multiple tunnels, some of which can be quite dark. Expect some wet conditions, even in the summer. Tunnel 6 is particularly dark and wet but the other tunnels have more light. Be sure to double back to the west to see tunnel 6, then go east for the rest of the tunnels. June-October are the ideal months.
Under no circumstances would I recommend attempting this hike in the winter through late spring. Remember the Donner Party? Ideal conditions start once the snow has melted from the surrounding ground usually sometime between late May to late June. This elevation is usually pretty clear of snow until early November. However, if you do want to visit the area in the cold weather, check out my guide for things to do in South Lake Tahoe in the winter. Your email address will not be published.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hiking through the dark Donner Pass Summit tunnel 6. Tunnel 6 exit, facing west. The exterior rock and pine landscape on the Donner Pass tunnels. Light shafts and graffiti and tunnel 7. Visiting the Tunnels Today All that being said, California history is not the only reason to visit the Donner Summit tunnels.
Edgy caricatures in the tunnels. Political messages in the tunnels. Be sure to check out the upper roof of Donner train tunnel 7, there is more graffiti up there. Gate entrance to tunnel 6. View from the top of tunnel 7. China Wall pull-out : This is a small pull-out and the the eastern most point where you can park. You can see the tunnels from the lot so simply park at the pull-put and hike up the granite.
But in the shoulder season and in the summer, they are running a bare bones restaurant operation with a wide open lot. I parked there recently without hassle. However be respectful and park at your own risk.
According to the note, the road up from the canyon was impassable and he advised them to wait until he could find a better route. When James Reed found Hastings, he refused to join the party and told Reed to lead the party through the canyon and up Big Mountain. There they encountered conditions they'd never imagined: by day, searing heat that turned the sand into bubbling stew that swallowed their wagons, and at night, frigid winds that blew sand, suffocating their oxen. Five days and eighty miles later, they stumbled out of the Salt Desert filled with anguish and dismay.
While the majority of the party deems the murder punishable by hanging, Reed's wife, Margaret, begs for his life. Reed is instead banished from the party. All except the Donner party, that is. In late October, the newly arrived emigrants were shocked to see James Reed emerge from the wilderness to tell the unfortunate tale of his fellow travelers.
John Sutter gave Reed horses and supplies to bring back to his starving family and others. Relentlessly bad weather forced Reed to abandon his hopes of making a rescue for four long months. Discover the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst who helped bring down gangsters and break up a Nazi spy ring in South America. Her work helped lay the foundation for modern codebreaking today.
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