Skip to ContentIn 1846 a wagon train of 87 people was trapped by snow at Truckee Lake, now Donner Lake. About 40 of them died. This page tells the story from official and historical sources, with the numbers that differ shown as ranges.
Checked November 2, 2026. Dates, prices and hours change; the official page wins.
- 87people who began the trip (NPS)
- about 40died that winter (NPS; range 39-41)
- 31 daysthe Forlorn Hope trip (historical society)
- 7of the 15 reached help (historical society)
This page is a short, careful account for visitors. It uses the National Park Service, California State Parks and the Truckee-Donner Historical Society. It leaves out graphic detail.
Timeline
- April 1846. The party left Illinois on April 12 and passed Independence, Missouri on May 12, according to the National Park Service. George Donner, 65, and James Reed led 87 men, women and children.
- Summer 1846. The party joined a group following Lansford Hastings and took the Hastings Cutoff across the Great Salt Lake Desert. The Park Service says it was meant to save 150 to 500 miles but cost time and depleted supplies and livestock. They reached the Humboldt River on September 26.
- October 1846. The party reached Truckee Lake, now Donner Lake, below the Sierra crest, and the first heavy snow trapped them. Four attempts to cross the summit failed, per the historical society. The Donner families stopped about five miles away at Alder Creek; that distance is approximate.
- December 1846. By mid-December all the animals had been killed and people ate rawhide. On December 16, fifteen people set out on snowshoes, later called the Forlorn Hope, expecting a ten-day trip. After 31 days seven people, five women and two men, reached Johnson’s Ranch.
- Winter and spring 1847. Four relief parties over the following months rescued about half of the party. The exact dates of each party are not confirmed on the pages we read.
How Many
Eighty-seven began the trip. The Park Service says 40 died that winter. The historical society gives 46 survivors, and another page we saw gives 48 survivors and 39 deaths, so we say about 40 of 87, with ranges of 39 to 41 deaths and 46 to 48 survivors depending on the source.
What Survivors Did
The Park Service and the historical society both state that survivors ate those who had died to stay alive. The historical society notes that a 2010 analysis of bone fragments from Alder Creek found only animal bones, that a 2004 dig found no human bones, and that a historian on the same page says the evidence is clear it happened at four sites. Scholars still debate the extent at Alder Creek.
Where to Visit
- Donner Memorial State Park: the Visitor Center and Pioneer Monument.
- Alder Creek: the Truckee Chamber lists a Donner Party Picnic Area on Highway 89 about 2.5 miles north of I-80 with a one-third-mile interpretive trail. The managing agency, hours and fees are not confirmed.
- Donner Lake and Donner Pass.
- The Truckee-Donner Historical Society’s Old Truckee Jail Museum, open by appointment (see Downtown Truckee).
Remembering Them
The Pioneer Monument was completed in 1918 and is California Historical Landmark #134. The National Park Service page quotes Sarah Winnemucca’s recollection about the Paiute; we do not add tribal accounts beyond the Park Service text, and we have not read the Paiute or Washoe tribes’ own websites for this page.
Legends And Lore
Stories people tell about this place, each labelled and checked against the record.
On The Map
What We Could Not Confirm
These items were not read on an official page when we checked, so we do not state them as fact. Who can confirm each one is named.
- Dates of each of the four relief parties and the Forlorn Hope arrival date (California State Parks interpretive guide).
- Survivor and death counts (sources differ).
- Donner Camp National Historic Landmark and National Register dates (NPS record).
- Alder Creek managing agency, hours and fees.
- Tribal histories from the Washoe and Paiute tribes’ own websites (not read).
More to Explore
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people died in the Donner Party?
The National Park Service says 40 of the 87 died that winter. Other sources give 39 to 41.
Where did the Donner Party get stuck?
At Truckee Lake, now Donner Lake, and at Alder Creek about five miles away (approximate).
Sources
- National Park Service: Donner and Reed Wagon Train Incident (official)
- California State Parks: Donner Memorial State Park (official)
- Truckee-Donner Historical Society: Forlorn Hope
- Truckee-Donner Historical Society: cannibalism controversy and the 2010 Alder Creek analysis
- Truckee Chamber: Donner Camp Trail at Alder Creek
Cite this page: It’s Reno editorial team, “The Donner Party,” itsreno.com, checked November 2, 2026.