Prosser Creek Reservoir - Nevada County, California

Visited on 7/8/2017 – Picture taken on a weekend camping trip in our Truck Camper with Jeff and our dogs, Summer and Skye, we camped at Boca Reservoir, but visited Prosser Creek Reservoir during on Saturday morning.  This 734 acre lake in the Tahoe National Forest of Nevada County, California approximately 3 miles northeast of Truckee, CA.  Prosser Creek Reservoir is at an elevation of 5,751 feet above sea level and the lake freezes over every winter. The earthen and rockfill dam was constructed from 1959 to 1962 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, it impounds Prosser Creek (a tributary of the Truckee River) for irrigation storage and winter and spring flood control, part of the Bureau's larger Washoe Project in the Tahoe region.

View from our Alder Creek Donner Party Historical Point northwest end of the Reservoir.

Marker in Alder Creek Valley at the Donner Party Camp, a peaceful 1/3 mile walking trail around the historic site.  I had just finished reading a great book called "Wagons West" by Frank McLynn that is the epic story of America's Overland Trails and the Donner/Reed Party, so the timing of this trip was perfect.



Marker at the site of where the tree was standing that was used for the camp of the Donner Party at Alder Creek.  Very sad story, but a wonderful hiking trail with through the Alder Creek meadow.  I got chills after just reading about how those folks had endured that harsh winter in makeshift tents and trying to survive in that meadow for five months back in 1846-47.