Near Norden, in the Tahoe National Forest in Nevada County, you can park right under Stewart Peak and its trailhead along Donner Pass Road. Or just around the bend at the overlook at McGlashan Point. A nice wide parking area across the road gives you views of the peak, Donner Lake, Norden Tunnels and Donner Summit Bridge.
Give yourself about three hours to climb all the switchbacks to the 7,389-foot peak, take in the view and return to your car. You will be sharing this trail with many hikers and lots of K9 companions out for a stroll.
Stewart Peak is part of the Pacific Crest Trail with amazing views. Many other trails branch off, so it’s easy to get lost. I enjoy taking a closer look at the trees that have managed to grow from the granite and survived the snow loads and high winds common here.
Although this is a heavily trafficked moderate trail, it is less congested than Lake Tahoe trails. You can hear the interstate for a half mile or so on the trail. The sounds fade away the higher you climb.
Take the Soda Springs Exit off Interstate 80 to Donner Pass Road across the street from the peak. You can also park at the rest area and follow trail signs from there.
Mary West is author of the book series Day Hiker – Gold Country Trail Guide I, II and III (2nd edition available on Amazon). The books are a collection of the Day Hiker columns where West shares her longtime love of the outdoors, favorite hikes in Northern California’s Gold Country and beyond. West was the recipient of the 2017 and 2019 CRAFT Award for Best Outdoor Column and the 2020 Craft Award for her second book in the series – Day Hiker Gold Country Trail Guide by the Outdoor Writers of California. You can follow West on Facebook and Instagram.
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