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TRUCKEE
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Welcome to Truckee and the Donner Summit a short distance from San Francisco, Sacramento and Reno. This is one of the most beautiful and historic spots in the Sierra Nevada. Residents and visitors of Truckee/Donner can walk out their front doors directly into the surrounding National Forests with miles and miles of trails. Truckee offers year round sporting activities such as boating, hiking, biking, fishing and all your favorite winter sports. We have art galleries, music festivals and both summer and winter specialty festivals. In addition we have the Truckee Air Show, Dog Sled Races and Truckee Rodeo which are big favorites with locals and visitors from all over the country. Whether you are considering our area for permanent relocation, retirement, or second vacation home, we know you can find it all here.

Boating, fishing, and swimming can be found at Donner Lake, the Truckee River, and Stampede, Boca, and Prosser Creek reservoirs. Lake Tahoe and its recreation are only 25 minutes away. Nearby ski resorts include Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Northstar-at Tahoe, Donner Ski Ranch, Tahoe Donner, Sugar Bowl, Soda Springs, and Boreal. Golfers can play at Tahoe Donner, Ponderosa, Northstar, and Squaw Creek golf courses. Reno, with its shows, gambling and excitement is thirty minutes away.

Truckee History
Truckee got its name way back in 1844 when a friendly Paiute Indian named "Tro-Kay" offered to guide the Murphy-Stephens-Townsend party west through what now is Reno and Truckee. They called him Truckee and he became a favorite of white settlers because of his honest and true nature. In fact, Truckee was an Indian Chief and the father of Winnemucca. Captain Stephens discovered Donner Lake and dubbed it Truckee's Lake.

Later, in October of 1860, the ill-fated Donner Party decided to alter their planned route from the "Emigrant Trail" to a shorter route through the Truckee area and suffered a disastrous delay on their trek west. A monument to the Donner Party's heroic battle with the elements and hunger stands today at the east end of Donner Lake.

In 1868, the Central Pacific Railway came through Truckee as a part of the Transcontinental Railway. The building of the railway created what was then the second largest "Chinatown" on the west coast. The large Chinese community were never assimilated into the community and were eventually moved on.

Logging was a key industry in Truckee for decades. San Francisco's ice boxes were supplied by ice from the ponds around Truckee for years. In the late 1800's, Truckee gained a reputation as a "Wild West Town" complete with a roaring red light district. The period from 1920 to 1960 was very quiet as the wars drew attention away from Truckee.

In 1960, the Winter Olympics put Truckee on the map as a destination resort, a reputation that flourishes today. Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows and Northstar are world class ski resorts that draw huge crowds during the ski season. In summer months, Truckee offers countless other attractions that draw thousands every year and have caused explosive growth. In 1989, Truckee finally became an incorporated town.