Donner Lake
Glacial Lake · Truckee, California
A three-mile glacial lake just west of Truckee, warmer than Tahoe and fifteen minutes from it, with the granite of Donner Pass rising behind the far end. The name carries the obvious weight — the Donner Party wintered on its eastern shore in 1846 — but in July it is simply the best swimming water in the northern Sierra.
Donner Pass Road, Truckee, California, 96161, United States
Open year-round. West End Beach and rentals seasonal, roughly June to September.