Historic Sites and Points of Interest in Nevada County

Donner Party Camp at Alder Creek Valley 30 August 2014
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Donner Party Camp at Alder Creek Valley
State Route 89 North of Alder Creek Road
Donner Camp Historical Site

Two commemorative plaques share a stone base near the entrance to Donner Camp Historical Site.

The larger plaque is titled Tamsen and Elizabeth Donner. The smaller plaque, titled Donner Party Camp at Alder Creek Valley reads:

Donner Party Camp at Alder Creek Valley

In the Fall of 1846, 25 Members of The Donner Party became Trapped by an Early Snowstorm here at Alder Creek Valley. The George and Jacob Donner Families, their Teamsters, and Fellow Travelers Suffered Extreme Hardship and Starvation. They Spent the Winter Here Cut Off from the Rest of Their Party who Camped at Donner Lake. Only 11 Survived the Ordeal. Their Survival, Against Desperate Odds, Stands as a Testament to the Enduring Pioneer Spirit the Helped Shape the Future of California.

Dedicated on September 28, 1996
By the Tahoe National Forest to Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Donner Party Tragedy

These markers are near the beginning of the Donner Camp Interpretive Trail.

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