YOUR AD HERE »

Explore the Donner Summit railroad tunnels on snowshoes

Photo courtesy Jeff BryantCalifornia State Park Ranger Don Schmidt will lead two Sunday snowshoe hikes into the Summit Tunnel on Donner Pass, Jan. 31 and Feb. 28.
ALL |

In the mid-1860s hundreds of Chinese laborers braved freezing temperatures, blizzards and unbelievably hazardous conditions to drill the 1,659-foot-long Summit Tunnel near Donner Pass, enabling the Central Pacific Railroad to move trains over the summit even in the worst of Sierra winter conditions.

Donner Memorial State Park will present two snowshoe hikes through the historic tunnel, led by California State Park Ranger Don Schmidt, Sunday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 28 from 9 a.m. to noon.

Meet at the Donner Memorial State Park museum parking lot, 12593 Donner Pass Road, Truckee.



The program will begin in the park then carpool to Donner Summit for the hike. Participants should come prepared for very cold conditions inside the tunnels. Dress in layers and include a warm hat and gloves. Bring a flashlight; it is dark in the tunnels. Snowshoes only and#8212; no skis. Moderate difficulty, approximately three hours, two miles. There is a parking fee of $8 per vehicle in the state park. For more information call 582-7892. For park information, visit http://www.parks.ca.gov.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.