About Donner Party Park:
Donner Party Park, a City of Reno public park, is a simple expanse of grass with some shade trees. There is nothing remarkable about the spot today, but its name alludes to a historic connection in the Truckee Meadows. It was near this spot, in October of 1846, that the emigrant Donner party established a camp and rested before attempting to cross the Sierra to California. Due to bad luck and problems within the group, they had arrived late in the travel season. The decision was made to push on over the mountains despite the late date. They made it as far as Donner Lake near present-day Truckee before being snowed in.
Visiting Donner Party Park:
Donner Party Park is located in the southeast Reno neighborhood of Donner Springs. It has houses on both sides and is at the corner of Rio Poco Rd. and Creekside Cir. The park backs up to Rattlesnake Mountain, the most prominent landmark in southeast Reno and part of the Huffaker Hills. The Donner party connection is commemorated by Nevada Historical Marker No. 253, located on a pedestal toward the rear of the park.
More About the Donner Party:
The site where the Donner party was trapped during the winter of 1846-1847 is preserved within Donner Memorial State Park in Truckee. The park's Emigrant Trail Museum contains displays about the thousands of emigrants who traveled the route to California, as well as details of the Donner ordeal. Online references to the Donner party are numerous, but The Donner Party by Daniel M. Rosen is a good place to start for those interested in learning more.
Read more - click for a selection of Donner Party books from which to choose.
