California · Hiking · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Donner Lake Rim Trail

Donner Lake Rim TrailPhoto: ray_explores, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
24.9 mi
round trip
2,162 ft
climb
7,689 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Is Donner Lake Rim Trail open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists an alert for Tahoe National Forest.

  • Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts

    Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest

As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

The Donner Lake Rim Trail is a 24.9-mile out-and-back hike in California's Tahoe National Forest, within the Truckee Ranger District. The route rises from a low point of 6,231 feet to a high of 7,689 feet, with an elevation gain of 2,162 feet, and it is rated hard. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is open year-round. The trail is a natural-surface route that allows both horses and bikes. It sits right beside the Pacific Crest Trail, which passes within about a tenth of a mile, and Hole in the Ground lies about half a mile away. Climbers can find Rated X Boulder and Porcupine Boulders within a mile. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the Sagehen Creek weather station, about 8 miles away, show July highs near 80°F with lows around 37°F. That station sits roughly 1,350 feet below the trail's high point, so temperatures on the rim run cooler. Nearby options include Lower Castle Creek for paddling, Milton Reservoir for fishing, and White Rock and Sterling Lake Campground for camping.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Castle Peak

    Campground

    Campground · 0.9 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Donner Day Lodge

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 2 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Sunnyside-Tahoe City

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Donner Lake Rim Trail

    Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      40° / 15°

    2. Feb

      41° / 15°

    3. Mar

      48° / 19°

    4. Apr

      53° / 22°

    5. May

      62° / 28°

    6. Jun

      72° / 32°

    7. Jul

      80° / 37°

    8. Aug

      79° / 35°

    9. Sep

      73° / 31°

    10. Oct

      61° / 24°

    11. Nov

      49° / 20°

    12. Dec

      39° / 14°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Sagehen Creek, CA, 8.2 mi away at 6,337 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Pacific Crest TrailPhoto: ray_explores, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pacific Crest Trail

Next door

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Hole in the GroundPhoto: scorpio-tiger, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hole in the Ground

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