It was nearing the end of summer by the time we decided to attempt a greater elevation gain like Donner Peak with our kids. Our son Wyatt, four years old, had hiked almost every weekend the summer leading up to Donner. This summer was his first season that he has hiked entirely on his own two feet versus riding in the pack. This hike was harder for him than others we have done. I say this not to discourage you from trying it, but just to let you know, that with his age, we had to build up his endurance over a period of time.  I would not suggest this as a first hike for your small children unless you are heading up with a flexible mind to turn around whenever your little people are tired. 

 With that said, this hike has gorgeous views of Donner Lake, Lake Mary, Van Norden and the railroad tunnels. You have two options, an out and back to Donner Peak (3.7 miles out and back) or you can continue on to include a round trip loop to Mt. Judah (5 miles round trip). With our son we chose the out and back, but had we been able to hike with both kids in a carrier, we would have included Mt. Judah as well.

My husband carried our one year old daughter in our Kelty Pathfinder 3.0. The trail has exposed areas so be sure to have a sun shade if you are using a carrier and lot of sunscreen. I don't know what the Mt. Judah hike is like, but for the Donner Peak my husband felt sure of his footing on the start while having our daughter on his back.


We were a bit confused about where the trailhead started at first. The trail for Donner is the same as the trail for PCT and Mt. Judah.

From the start this trail has short rocky switchbacks but once at the top the trail stretches out into a gentle uphill walk.  We were there around 9AM on a weekend morning and it was busy with people and dogs.  I would suggest getting there as early as possible.



We went in July and as we got closer to the peak there was a huge patch of snow! I was surprised to see it. It served as a great place to cool off and was not in the way of the trail at all.




We took our time on the hike and rested often. The last stretch of the hike, though steep and exposed, was actually the part my son liked the most. He ran ahead of me and kept yelling back,  "Come on Mom!" At this point hikers coming down were giving him high-fives and words of praise. He was proud of himself and so were we.

We scrambled up a few rocks at the top and were rewarded with amazing views. We found the summit log and our son happily signed his name.

The drop offs are pretty severe and they made me nervous with my kids with me, so quickly we snapped a few picks before climbing back down and finding a place to picnic.




The chipmunks were back again on this hike and Wyatt fed them quite a few Trader Joe's Rocket crackers.


We allow for long picnics at the middle point of our hike. We have found them essential to Wyatt's happiness on the way back down and try not to rush them. He enjoyed exploring and munching at the top and we enjoyed watching him.



This is a great hike. We met a couple along the way who were hiking with their grown daughters. The woman told me she had started hiking this same trail with them when they were Wyatt's age. To me, hiking and being outdoors with your kids, the whole experience from car ride there to summit, is the best quality family time there is. I hope to be hiking with my children when they are grown adults too.


LOCATION: Near Truckee, CA off Old Donner Pass Rd. 

LENGTH: 3.7 miles round trip 

DIFFICULTY: For my son, I would say strenuous.  For the adults I would say moderate because of the rocky trail in places. 

PARKING: We found a parking lot off Old Donner Pass Rd and walked to trailhead.