Donner Pass

#1. Donner Pass

Donner Pass

Donner Pass is a formidable mountain pass and the high point along Interstate 80 in Northern California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The pass is located nine miles west of Truckee, California. At an elevation of 7,085 feet, the pass has needful historical significance in terms of its fence to travel and resulting loss of human life. In the winter of 1846-1847, over forty people from the Donner Party perished as a the ensue of their inability to get over the pass. Donner Pass is narrow and has a steep accent from the east, with a more gradual rise from the west.

Donner Pass

For early western settlers in the mid nineteenth century, traveling through the pass was highly treacherous. The pass receives large amounts of snow, averaging 415 inches of snowfall per year, development it one of the snowiest places in the United States. The pass can also be highly windy with winter storms bringing wind speeds in excess of one hundred miles per hour.

In 1968, the Central Pacific compel completed building of the first compel to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains. building of this stretch of compel took more than five years to complete, with the last phase being a 1,506-foot tunnel through Donner Pass. In 1913, a road, called the Lincoln Highway, was completed over Donner Pass. Lincoln Highway was the first road to cross America. In the early 1960's, Interstate 80 opened, greatly expanding the accessibility of the pass.

The pass is now a popular recreation spot for skiing, hiking, rock climbing, and ice climbing. It is located one hundred eighty miles northeast of San Francisco, development it the closest ski destination to the Bay Area. Donner Pass is home to two ski areas, Boreal Ski Resort and Sugar Bowl Ski Resort. Make plans to visit the pass today!

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