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Donner Memorial State Park

Park · Truckee · Nevada County · California

Are dogs allowed at Donner Memorial State Park?

Yes, with restrictions. Dogs are allowed on the Lakeside Interpretive Trail, Zig Zag Trail, fire roads, and along the shore of Donner Lake except for China Cove Beach. Dogs must always remain on a six-foot (maximum) leash. Dogs are not allowed in the visitor center, on the half-mile Nature Trail, or China Cove Beach. Dogs are not allowed on designated ski trails when snow is present.

Verified October 26, 2026 from California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Leash
Required
Maximum leash length
6 feet
Official restrictions
Dogs are allowed on the Lakeside Interpretive Trail, Zig Zag Trail, fire roads, and alon…

183.1 On I-80 at mile 183.1, at the freeway. See every dog stop on I-80.

Rules

RuleValueSourceVerified
Dogs allowedYes, with restrictions[1] California Department of Parks and RecreationOctober 26, 2026
Official restrictionsDogs are allowed on the Lakeside Interpretive Trail, Zig Zag Trail, fire roads, and along the shore of Donner Lake except for China Cove Beach. Dogs must always remain on a six-foot (maximum) leash. Dogs are not allowed in the visitor center, on the half-mile Nature Trail, or China Cove Beach. Dogs are not allowed on designated ski trails when snow is present.[1] California Department of Parks and RecreationOctober 26, 2026
LeashRequiredagency-wide rule[2] California Department of Parks and RecreationOctober 26, 2026
Maximum leash length6 feetagency-wide rule[2] California Department of Parks and RecreationOctober 26, 2026
Leaving your dog aloneNot allowedagency-wide rule[2] California Department of Parks and RecreationOctober 26, 2026

Rules in every California state park

Source: [2] California Department of Parks and Recreation, checked October 26, 2026

Location

13181 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, 96161 · Nevada County · California · Map (OpenStreetMap)

Managed by California State Parks. Official page

Sources

  1. Visiting State Parks With Your Dog (parks.ca.gov), California Department of Parks and Recreation. Government agency, checked October 26, 2026.
    Donner Memorial State Park | Dogs Allowed? Yes | Dogs are allowed on the Lakeside Interpretive Trail, Zig Zag Trail, fire roads, and along the shore of Donner Lake except for China Cove Beach. Dogs must always remain on a six-foot (maximum) leash. Dogs are not allowed in the visitor center, on the half-mile Nature Trail, or China Cove Beach. Dogs are not allowed on designated ski trails when snow
  2. Visiting State Parks With Your Dog: statewide rules (parks.ca.gov), California Department of Parks and Recreation. Government agency, checked October 26, 2026.
    Dogs must be on a maximum 6-foot leash at ALL times and physically under your control.

First verified October 26, 2026; re-check due November 25, 2026. Freshness: fresh. How we verify.

See something out of date? Rules change. If what you saw on site differs from this page, suggest a correction for Donner Memorial State Park or email corrections@dogpolicies.com. We re-verify against the official source, usually within a week, and log the result on the accuracy page.

Cite this record

Donner Memorial State Park (Truckee, CA): Yes, with restrictions. Dogs are allowed on the Lakeside Interpretive Trail, Zig Zag Trail, fire roads, and along the shore of Donner Lake except for China Cove Beach. Dogs must always remain on a six-foot (maximum) leash. Dogs are not allowed in the visitor center, on the half-mile Nature Trail, or China Cove Beach. Dogs are not allowed on designated ski trails when snow is present. Source: California Department of Parks and Recreation, checked 2026-10-26. DogPolicies record: https://dogpolicies.com/places/donner-memorial-state-park/ (CC BY 4.0; cite with link).

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