Schallenberger Ridge Donner Pass – Trail Guide

The Schallenberger Ridge 4×4 trail is a moderately trekked trail in Truckee within Tahoe’s National Forest. With stunning views of Donner Lake, Highway 80, Signal Peak 4×4 Trail, Castle Peak/Castle Pass, many covered railroad tracks, and Northstar at Tahoe Ski Resort Mountain, this is one trail that you don’t want to miss. Schallenberger Ridge features some pretty epic sights.

As you start down the trail through Emigrant Canyon, you will see many small river ponds made up by Cold Creek and the South Fork of Cold Creek, which meet just beyond the tracks at the confluence. If you visit this trail in the winter or late fall, you will likely find these river ponds frozen. While we trekked this trail (early January), we saw a full team of hockey players on the ice going at it. We have not had much snow this year, so we were lucky to make it to the top.

As you continue through Emigrant Canyon, you will find a few hidden camp spots and multiple views of Cold Creek running to your left. As you near the end of the first section through Emigrant Canyon, you will hit the Donner Pass railroad tracks.

Donner Pass Railroad Tracks

At the railroad tracks, you can take a left down to Cold Creek or head over the tracks. If you head down to Cold Creek, you can smash up, down, across, and over the creek in almost any direction. You will want to have a set of off-road recovery tracks just in case for this trail.

If you want to head straight up to the Schallenberger Ridge 4×4 trail, cross over the tracks and up the ridge. On a side note, be incredibly careful here. The section where you need to cross over the tracks is in somewhat of a blind spot. You DO NOT WANT TO TREK THIS ALONE. You want someone on the other end of the tracks waiting for you, just in case you get stuck and centered on the tracks.

While we were here, we saw the train pass once and then heard it pass again about an hour later as we approached Schallenberger Ridge.

For a minute, one of our guys got centered and had to start over (on our way out). It was not a good feeling. Do we need to go into more detail on this? If you hit this trail, bring another 4×4, recovery straps, shackle mounts, and all your off-road accessories.

Making your way to Cold Creek

We started down Emigrant Canyon and eventually hit the railroad tracks. From here, we took a left down to Cold Creek. We drove down Cold Creek in a few different sections. This place was a blast if you like driving through creeks.

You can access the creek through a multitude of areas, but right next to the tracks is the main spot. This is also where you can drive through the tunnel under the railroad tracks. What an epic place to romp around! Cold Creek offers a variety of crossings and options for getting wet.

Through the Tunnel

If you are feeling froggish, then leap. You can cross under the donner railroad tracks and through the tunnel, but it is a little sketchy. If you want to trek through the tunnel, you have a narrow section that you will need to get through first. If you decide that this option is for you, this might be the toughest section of the trail. If your rig is narrow enough, you will make it.

On the Other Side of the Tracks

You can trek a little further up the creek on the other side of the tracks. This is a great spot to hang out and relax. Just take in the view, listen to the water, and respect Mother Nature and what she has to offer. This was one special spot to hang out. The creek is low and the water is forgiving, depending on the time of year. If you have a 4×4 and love crossing water, you will love the other side of the tracks.

Heading Up Towards Schallenberger Ridge

Emigrant Canyon to Schallenberger Ridge is just past the railroad tracks on your right. It is a switchback that you will likely miss if you are not looking for it. We passed it, drove all the way down to Lost Trail Lodge, and then headed back. The trail starts as a straight incline up the hill. Stock 4Runners and 4x4s alike will likely make it just fine, depending on the season. You might want to reconsider if you are approaching this trail with snow on the ground in a stock 4×4. We had to punch it through some snow patches that I thought we wouldn’t make.

Views from Schallenberger Ridge

You won’t be disappointed once you reach the top of Schallenberger Ridge. The views are similar to Signal Peak’s but might be better. Better might not be the right word, but different. At Signal Peak, you have views of a few lakes and mountain ranges in every direction. At the peak of Schallenberger Ridge, you look straight down on Donner Lake.

You can see details of Donner Lake that you can’t see from any other mountain range. The views are spectacular. Views you can only reach with a 4×4. There are also views of covered railroad tracks and other major mountain ranges in the distance.

Final Thoughts

What a hidden gem! This trail was an epic little adventure to another peak in Tahoe’s National Forest. It really is crazy to think about how many trails are out there that we don’t know about. The goal is to keep exploring and uncovering hidden gems like this forever.

Keep it wild, everyone, and tread lightly!