Tahoe Donner: Glacier Way to Ski Hut

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Features Fall Colors · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Glacier Way is the most popular place to begin a hike at Tahoe Donner. There's a parking lot for a dozen or so cars, as well as a kiosk with a map. Taking the main trail out to the west, a dirt road path transitions into the DLRT (Donner Lake Rim Trail). Views abound all the way to the turn around point, which is marked by a small ski warming hut at the promontory.

Parking is free, and in summer there is a porta potty present in the parking lot for use.

This hike is relatively flat most of the way through, with one or two small rises interspersed evenly. Its nice surface makes it a great trail for most levels of hiking, providing some of the best views in the Donner/Truckee basin. In the fall, it showcases higher snowcapped peaks and autumn colors, and in the spring it smells of fresh flowers and petrichor. The warming hut at its end is a fun bonus, providing views towards Donner Peak and Frog Lake.