California · Rock climbing · Truckee

Donner Peak

Donner Peak in California has 11 sport climbing routes across 10 grades.

11 routes
5.8 – 5.12c
Sport

Is Donner Peak open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Tahoe National Forest.

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

Best time to visit Donner Peak

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, 9.3 mi away at 6,337 ft. The station sits about 1,600 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.

Donner Peak is a climbing area in the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California, managed by the Forest Service. It sits among a cluster of climbing spots and trails, with Train Time Wall about half a mile away and East Face about 0.6 miles off. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the Sagehen Creek weather station, about 9 miles away, show July highs around 80°F with lows near 37°F, and temperatures at Donner Peak run cooler than that station's figures. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 passes about 0.9 miles away, and the Lake Mary Trail is about 1.1 miles off. Milton Reservoir, roughly 1.7 miles away, offers fishing, and Granite Flat campground is about 5.7 miles away.

Routes (11)

3. Desiccation Wall(1)

Desiccation Wall Direct5.9+

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Grouse #6Photo: Jonathan Fox, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Grouse #6

~2 min drive

Grouse #6 in California has 4 bouldering routes across 3 difficulty grades.

East FacePhoto: Jonathan Fox, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

East Face

~2 min drive

East Face in California has 24 climbing routes across 13 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Train Time Wall

~1 min drive

Train Time Wall in California has 9 climbing routes across 7 grades.

East Face

~1 min drive

East Face in California has 4 trad routes on 3 difficulty grades.

Tunnel Rock

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Tunnel Rock in California has 9 climbing routes across 8 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Brain Block

~1 min drive

Brain Block in California has 8 climbing routes across 7 grades, offering sport and trad options.

East Face Main

~1 min drive

East Face Main in California has 11 climbing routes on the East Face cliff, ranging across 9 difficulty grades.

Cannibals Gully

~1 min drive

Cannibals Gully in California has 12 routes with mixed climbing styles (mixed, sport, trad) and 10 distinct difficulty grades.

Gully - Left Side

~1 min drive

Gully - Left Side in California has 7 climbing routes with mixed and trad protection.

North Face Main

~1 min drive

North Face Main in California has 15 climbing routes across 12 grades, featuring mixed, sport, and trad styles.