Commercial Row–Brickelltown Historic District
· 1.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine Truckee without this street – hard to do, right? Commercial Row is the heart of old Truckee, born from the boomtown days after the Central Pacific Railroad chugged through in 1869. This area sprang up fast to…
Truckee, CA
· 1.7 mi · Local history
Imagine a town ablaze, not from a forest fire, but from within. In 1892, a devastating fire swept through Truckee, leaving the wooden structures of the burgeoning railroad town in ashes. But from that destruction arose…
Donner Pioneer Monument
· 2.8 mi
At Donner Memorial State Park on the edge of Truckee stands the Pioneer Monument, a bronze of three settlers gazing west atop a granite pedestal. The pedestal is 22 feet tall on purpose: that was the depth of the snow…
Donner Memorial State Park
· 3.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This beautiful spot holds a dark secret: it's where the Donner Party faced unimaginable hardship. In 1846, the Donner Party, a group of American pioneers, became trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains by heavy snows.…
Boca Dam
· 6.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Ever wonder how they control the flow of water between California and Nevada? It all starts here at Boca Dam. Built between 1937 and 1939 by the Bureau of Reclamation, Boca Dam is an earthfill dam that's a crucial part…
Donner Pass: Trapped in the Sierra
· 7.3 mi · Historical
The Donner Party, 87 pioneers trapped by early snow in the Sierra Nevada during the winter of 1846-47, resorted to cannibalism before rescue — only 48 survived, making it the most harrowing episode in westward migration.
Donner Pass
· 7.5 mi · Historical Marker
The Donner Party was trapped here by early snow in the winter of 1846-47.
Lake Tahoe Dam
· 12.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This unassuming dam controls the flow of water from the iconic Lake Tahoe, regulating its levels and sending water downstream. Back in 1870, a privately owned dam was built here to manage Tahoe's outflow. But as demand…
Chapel of the Transfiguration (Tahoe City, California)
· 13.9 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This charming chapel, built in 1909, is associated with retail magnate Robert Montgomery Ward. Known as the Chapel of the Transfiguration, or Saint Nicholas Episcopal Church Outdoor Chapel, this rustic structure was…
Thunderbird Lodge (Lake Tahoe, Nevada)
· 19.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over and get ready to step back in time! This isn't just a pretty view; it's the site of the Thunderbird Lodge, a millionaire's playground built to indulge some pretty wild whims. Millionaire George Whittell Jr.…
