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Donner Memorial State Park and Emigrant Trail Museum
Donner Memorial State Park is a state park of California, USA, preserving the site of the Donner Camp, where members of the ill-fated Donner Party were trapped by weather during the winter of 1846–1847. Caught without shelter or adequate supplies, members of the group resorted to cannibalism to survive. The Sierra Nevada site has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The state park contains the Emigrant Trail Museum and the Pioneer Monument dedicated to the travelers of the Emigrant Trail.To visit Donner Memorial State Park and Emigrant Trail Museum on your holiday in Truckee, and find out what else Truckee has to offer, use our Truckee.
Donner Memorial State Park is located outside Truckee, California. It has 2.5mi of hiking trails, campgrounds, and 3mi of lake frontage on Donner Lake. The 3293acre park was established in 1928.
The Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center contains exhibits about the cultural history of the area, including local Native Americans, the Donner Party, and builders of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Near the museum is the Pioneer Monument and the Donner Party's Murphy family cabin site. Park staff offer hikes, special presentations and campfires by the museum.
The Pioneer Monument was erected in honor of all who made the difficult trek across the western plains and mountains to reach California during the 1840s. Work on the monument, constructed near the site of the cabins that gave shelter to the Donner Party, began in 1901. On June 6, 1918, in a ceremony that included Donner Party survivors, the Native Sons of the Golden West donated the completed monument and 11 surrounding acres to the State of California.
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Donner Memorial State Park and Emigrant Trail Museum reviews
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Beautiful quiet place for a winter hike and enjoy the snow. Snowshoes or cross country skis suggested, though you could just have good boots. There was a big storm last weekend, so the snow today was.... more
Beautiful quiet place for a winter hike and enjoy the snow. Snowshoes or cross country skis suggested, though you could just have good boots. There was a big storm last weekend, so the snow today was.... more »
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This is definitely worth a visit. The park rangers are very knowledgeable of the history of the Donner Party and Native American tribes of the area and painted a real picture of what life was like...
This is definitely worth a visit. The park rangers are very knowledgeable of the history of the Donner Party and Native American tribes of the area and painted a real picture of what life was like... more »
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