Being A Good Steward Starts at the Parking Lot

Snowshoeing in Donner Summit Canyon

With the abundant sunshine and nice weather, people are eager to get out and enjoy Land Trust lands right now. But thanks to the huge snowstorms of December, some of our parking lots and trailheads might be a little smaller, or inaccessible, until the snowpack melts back a bit.

Truckee Donner Land Trust works with our partners to provide access to great skiing, snowshoeing and snow play areas, and we need your help in being a good neighbor and good caretaker of our lands. If you find a full parking area or trailhead when you arrive, please look elsewhere for your outing.

Some parking areas may not be plowed for a few days after a big storm, like Johnson Canyon and Lower Carpenter Valley. These places provide great winter recreation opportunities, so wait a few days and give it another try.

On Truckee Springs, no parking is available on South River Street, so the only way to access in the winter is parking legally elsewhere in downtown and walking. A new parking area is planned for construction this summer.

Road-side parking is not allowed in the Town of Truckee, Nevada, Placer and Sierra Counties between November and April both to allow snowplows access to those roads, and because parking is often narrowed by encroaching snowbanks, meaning parallel parking can impede traffic.

Winter access to the region’s trailheads is a challenge, but numerous partners and agencies are committed to providing increased parking. Take a look at our Explore page for other ideas, check out Visit Truckee Tahoe’s page, or shoot us email or a phone call – we’re happy to chat! In addition, our friends at the Tahoe Backcountry Alliance is offering shuttles to popular winter backcountry trailheads, click here to learn more.

Thanks, and we hope you enjoy Land Trust lands this winter.