15 Amazing Things to Do in Truckee, California (2026)
Truckee, California, is a beautifully scenic tourist town with rich local history. Truckee is a part of North Lake Tahoe, but its about a 20-minute drive from most of the other villages on the north side of the lake.
Truckee is a mid-sized town with a year-round population of just over 17,000. It has a quaint historic downtown, ski resorts (including one that has hosted the Olympics!), beautiful views of mountains and lakes, and the famous Donner memorial state park and museum.
My brother lives in North Lake Tahoe, so I’ve been lucky to visit Truckee twice now – once in the summer, and another time in spring. I loved it even more in spring 2026, as the mountains in the background still had snow on top and it was gorgeous.
You can stay right in Truckee, as there are some great accommodations in town. However, Truckee also makes for is a good half-day or full-day trip from either Reno (known as “little Vegas”) or anywhere in the Lake Tahoe area. (If you’re in South Lake Tahoe, Truckee is about a 1-hour drive.)
So lets jump in – 15 best things to do in Truckee, California.
Things to Do in Truckee, California
1. Walk along the Old Donner Pass road (historic downtown)
Walking down the main street of Truckee (Old Donner Pass road) gives you views of the surrounding mountains, and also, great shopping, cafes, food, art and museums.
Most of the restaurants, shops and businesses are on one side of the street. Right across from the street is the Truckee train station, the Railway Museum.
It may be hard to find parking on Old Donner Pass road, usually we find parking on a side street nearby. I would budget to spend at least half an hour walking up this beautiful street; there is so much to see in all these little hole in the wall shops, and you’ll want to give yourself time to look around.
Pro Tip: While the historic downtown of Truckee is very quaint, its also quite busy and heavily trafficked, especially in the summertime and on weekends. So, just be careful when crossing the street (avoid J-walking) and while finding a parking spot.
2. Check out the Museum of Truckee History
Right across the Old Donner Pass with all the shops, you’ll see a yellow wooden building near the train station. This is the Museum of Truckee History. It offers self-guided and private tours. Both are free, but donations are highly appreciated.
There’s a lot of interesting things to learn about Truckee history. Between the brutal story of the Donner party, the railroad construction, and the indigenous heritage – there’s a lot to uncover. In fact, Truckee is one of the few railroad towns that survived as a town (most of the other railway towns that popped up in the 1800s are now ghost towns.)
A donation of around $20 USD is suggested for a private tour of the museum, less if you’re just doing it as self-guided. The museum is open from 10-4 from Friday through Sunday.
3. Visit the Railroad Museum
Do you see the smaller train-carrier building beside the Museum of Truckee History? This is the Truckee Railroad Museum. Its very small, with the whole thing being inside of an old train carrier.
It’s a little place where you can pop in to learn about Truckee’s role in America’s first transcontinental railroad, and the construction of the railroad by Chinese workers.
You can see the whole thing in half an hour to an hour at the most. It is open on weekends only throughout the year from 10 am to 4 pm. Unfortunately, its been closed every time I go there. But, you can still go up to it for some photos.
Right beyond the railway museum is the railroad tracks, and you can get some great photos of them too. If you are here on a weekend when it is open, then admission is by donation. (Anywhere from $2-$5 USD would be appropriate.)
4. Check out the Old Jail Museum
Just a stone’s throw from the main street is the Old Jail Museum. This old jail is one of the few remaining buildings from the 1800s when Truckee was still considered an ‘old western’ town.
From the outside, its a cute and antique looking building. Inside, you can see recreated rooms, photos, and artifacts from that time and learn about what life in the jail was like in those days, as well as more history about Truckee.
Like the railroad museum, the Old Jail is (unfortunately) only open on weekends from 10-4, and Thursday evenings. Dress warmly if you come in the winter, because there is no heating in the jail!
There is no admission fee, but the jail is volunteer-run and donations are appreciared, simiar to the other two museums downtown.
Pro Tip: Right behind the Old Jail Museum is a small garden and memorial. It’s a quiet place to relax any time of year, but be respectful of the grave benches. Right beside the jail it is a coffee place called Coffeebar, and souvenir store. Coffeebar serves pricey, but excellent food and has tons of seating indoor, and outdoor weather pending.
5. Visit the cutest bookstore
One of my favourite stores on Old Donner Pass rd is Words for Words bookstore. It has to be one of the cutest bookstores I’ve seen. It has two levels (a basement and a main floor.)
It has a great selection, and they regularly rearrange the books seasonally. For example, when we were there in March, they had a stand of books set in Ireland in honour of St. Patrick’s Day. They also had a decent kids section, where children can sit down and read quietly. A beautiful little store, and sold some a few souvenirs too.
6. Grab brunch or breakfast at Squeeze In
There are lots of good places to eat in Truckee, but one of them I have to mention – especially for breakfast or brunch, is Squeeze In. It has such a unique interior, and eating there is part of the experience of being in Truckee.
Its small, so you might literally have to ‘squeeze in’ to get a spot, which is likely how it got its name. It’s a gorgeously rustic inside, and a casual, low key place to have pancakes, eggs, smoothies or great coffee.
7. Grab ice cream at an old-fashioned ice cream parlour
Bud’s Ice Cream on the main street has a 50s diner style to the interior, and there are a variety of ice creams to choose from. You can get an old fashioned banana split with a variety of toppings.
We stopped in here for a rootbeer float, and some cones. Aside from Bud’s Icecream, there are a few ice cream food trucks open in Truckee in the summer months only, such as Little Truckee Icecreamery Truck
8. Whitewater rafting on the Truckee River
The Truckee River is flows through California and Nevada, and is 121 miles (195 km) long. Its great for whitewater rafting because there are mainly Class II rapids (wide, clear channels which are easy to maneuver) with several Class III rapids (which are a bit more of a challenge) in the last mile.
The best way to raft on the Truckee River is with a guided white water rafting professional. You can book tours with a few local providers, Tributary Whitewater and Truckee River Raft Co.
I recommend this whitewater rafting tour on the Truckee River (3.5 hours long, and about $120 per person) for ages 7+
9. Visit a ski resort (in winter OR summer)
Truckee is surrounded by ski resorts, and is even home to one of the most iconic ones – Palisaides Resort (once known as Squaw Valley!)
Winter is not the only time you can visit these resorts! They are open year-round! You can either visit the ski villages, which have shops and restaurants, and some of them even have summer activities.
About skiing or boarding at the resorts: In winter, skiing and snowboarding are both available, and in the summer, these resorts have activities like hiking, swimming. They also have nice ‘ski resort’ villages that you can visit any time of year. You might be surprised how late into the year you can actually go skiing for snowboard. My brother and his partner sometimes are able to go snowboarding into the month of July, but sometimes the resorts close as early as March.
You have your pick of 3-4 ski resorts in the Truckee area, in both winter and summer:
- Palisades Tahoe – 16 minutes from downtown, and Home of the 1966 Winter Olympics! It has a nice mountain village, which can be walked through year round. You can take a gondola to the top in any season, for a gorgeous view. Get an iconic photo of the ‘Home of the 1960 Olympics’ sign
- Northstar California Resort – 9 minutes from downtown Truckee. Rent a bike in the summer to explore the terrain, or stay at the lodge
- Tahoe Donner Downhill Ski Area (15 minutes) Probably the most suitable to beginners and kids who are learning to ski or snowboard. Fantastic for families, especially those with parents of kids who don’t ski
- Boreal Mountain Resort -14 minutes from downtown Truckee. In the summer, you can book a drop-in 2 hour session for biking (all ages).
10. Visit the Donner Memorial Museum!
The Donner Memorial is FREE of charge (and no donations are expected, from what I saw.) It’s apart of the Donner Memorial State Park, so you just need to pay $10 to park in their lot. From there, you can visit the museum, and walk some of the trails outside afterwards if you choose to.
The museum probably takes 30-45 minutes to get through, it isn’t huge but it is very visual with lots of information covered about the Donner party.
FYI in case you haven’t heard of the Donner party: Growing up in Canada, I’d never heard of the Donner party but their story is learned in American schools. They’re also an iconic part of American identity. The Donner party was a group of about 87 people (mostly men, but also women and children) who migrated from the Midwest. They had to brave the wilderness and harsh conditions, but most of them succumbed to nature, and resorted to cannibalism.
The museum walks you through the Donner party’s story, as well as history of the First Nations of the area. There’s a gift shop where you can buy Donner souvenirs, which is a unique US souvenir that probably isn’t easy to find anywhere else. You should also check out their memorial statue outside the museum.
Enjoying nature at the Donner Memorial State Park
Right beyond the parking area and the museum, you will see some trails. One of them is a small nature trail just to the right of the statue above. It’s a nice way if you want to get outside after exploring the museum and take in some nature. The Donner Memorial State Park is open year-round and is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range at an elevation of 6,000 feet, so there is some gorgeous beauty to be enjoyed in this park.
Good to Know: The Donner State Park is open from 10am – 5pm throughout the year, and you just need to pay $10/day per vehicle to park there
11. Eat mouthwatering sandwiches
Full Belly Deli has three different locations (all in Nevada) and is open for open for both breakfast and lunch. Truckee’s Fully Belly Deli is not on the main street like the other restaurants mentioned above, but just a 5 minute drive away.
They make a really good post-ski or snowboard meal after you finish off on the slopes in the winter months. There is has a nice shaded area to sit outside in the warm months, and hot drinks to be enjoyed with your sandwich in the cold months
As a vegetarian, I went with the veggie press sandwich (which was delicious) but there are lots of customization options for all their sandwiches.
10. Get views of Donner Lake
Donner Lake is stunning, it is almost like a mini Lake Tahoe. It connects to Donner Memorial State Park, so you can visit the lake via the park (and enjoy sports like swimming, kayaking, etc.)
However, the lake is surrounded by roads, cottages, lookouts and viewpoints. We parked in a small public lot and walked up to the edge of the lake, because I didn’t want to zip by without taking in the beauty.
Google Maps will show you some specific viewpoints and lookouts of this lake. We just looked for a designated parking spot, and parked there temporarily just for a 10 minute view. It was gorgeous and worth it!
If you want to do some sports on Donner Lake, you can book them on the Donner Lake Marina website (kayaks, motor boats.)
11. Take a walk on the Truckee River Legacy Trail
The Truckee River Legacy Trail, as the name suggests, runs along the Truckee River. It’s suitable for bikers, hikers, walkers, families and dog walkers. So, pretty much anyone can use it.
The trail is 6 miles (9.6 km) out and back, and takes just over 3 hours to complete You can read more about the trail and the current conditions for when you’re visiting Truckee here.
12. Sample local wine at the Truckee River Winery
Truckee’s only winery is about 35 years old (established in 1989 by two locals) and gradually expanded over the years and decades since it opened. You can do a wine tour, a tasting and sit on their patio and enjoy with a view.
The winery is very small, and probably seats about 12 people inside in their tasting room, but has a beautiful outdoor seating area with lots of space. You can reserve a visit to the Truckee River Winery via their online booking system.
13. Go golfing at Coyote Moon Golf Course
Coyote Moon is the only golf course in the Truckee area, and its said to be one of the best golf courses in the state of California.
They are just a 10 minute drive outside of downtown Truckee. You can book a tee time online on their website (they have daily slots open throughout the day, in the warm months.)
14. Head to KidZone Museum (if you’re in Truckee with kids)
If you’re in Truckee with kids, KidZone is a must. I’ve never seen a kid’s indoor playground quite like this one. Its inside of a dome, and has both indoor and outdoor play areas.
The indoor play areas are very much pretend-play based, and all the kids there seemed very engaged (including my two kids, 2 and 10.) There was a train station, a theatre, an art room, science room and a little playground. There was also an area specially for babies and toddlers under 2.
KidZone is probably most suited to kids who are 7 and under. However, we were visiting Lake Tahoe with our toddler, plus our older child, so we brought both of them to KidZone.
There is less that would interest older children, so I wouldn’t bring a bunch of preteens here. But our older child enjoyed playing with her younger sibling.
Good to Know: KidZone closes at 3pm on the days its open (Tuesday through Saturday) so plan your visit accordingly. They open at 10:30, and admission is $10
15. Take a day trip (if you’re staying in Truckee)
Truckee is a daytrip if you’re staying somewhere else (Reno, North Lake Tahoe, etc.) But if you’re staying in Truckee, you shoul definitely make the effort to explore outside of it too. The whole area is just so gorgeous and there’s too much beauty and uniqueness to skip over it.
North Lake Tahoe is only about 20 minutes from Truckee,and includes Kings Beach (very cute spot), Tahoe City and Incline Village. South Lake Tahoe is just over an hour from Truckee. Here are places, besides Lake Tahoe, that I’d recommend checking out:
- Virginia City is about an hour from Truckee. Reminds me a little of Truckee, but it was even more historic and picturesque (I’d recommend it, if you have time!)
- Carson City which has a historic downtown and lots of things to do as well. We didn’t make it there during our last trip, but my brother and his partner enjoy heading there
Where to Stay in Truckee
Truckee is a good place to stay because of its proximity to Lake Tahoe, Reno, Virginia City, and other places to see in the area. Here are some options in Truckee.
- Budget: Hampton Inn & Suites Tahoe-Truckee– Outdoor pool, continental breakfast and only 2 miles from downtown Truckee
- Mid-Range: Gravity Haus Truckee-Tahoe 4-start hotel with a rustic cottage vibe. They offer bike rentals to explore the area
- Luxury: Truckee Donner Lodge Very close to activities, with amenities like a pool, hot tub and a complimentary breakfast
Things to Do in Truckee, California: FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about visiting Truckee and things to do in the area
Is Truckee CA worth visiting?
Truckee is a great winter destination for winter sport enthusiasts. In the summer, you can enjoy walks in the historic downtown, whitewater rafting on the Truckee River, and outdoor activities in Donner State Park, or nearby in Lake Tahoe.
What is Truckee famous for?
Truckee is well known for the Emigrant Trail, as well as for the tragic journey of the Donner Party. It was also instrumental in the construction of America’s first transcontinental railway, which many Chinese workers assisted with. In the area, you can visit the museum of Truckee History, a Railway Museum and the Old Jail.
Is Truckee considered Lake Tahoe?
Truckee is considered apart of the North Lake Tahoe area, but its further west than the immediate Lake Tahoe area. It would take about 20 minutes to drive to Truckee from North Lake Tahoe, and vice versa.
Things to Do in Truckee, California: Conclusion
Truckee is a picturesque little town with the railroad tracks and the mountains off in the distance. Whether you visit in winter or summer, Truckee makes for a nice place to visit while you’re in the Lake Tahoe and/or Reno area, on your own or as a family. Truckee has three museums, a cute downtown core, great restaurants and treats, outdoor activities (golf, skiing, tubing, hiking) and its not far from other places to see in the area as well. I hope this guide has been helpful in planning your time in Truckee!