The Lodge at Tahoe Donner

The Lodge at Tahoe Donner is a restaurant, pub and wedding venue at 12850 Northwoods Blvd. in Truckee, inside the Tahoe Donner community and overlooking its golf course. It is open to the public, not just to Tahoe Donner members. As of late September 2026, dinner is served Wednesday to Sunday, 5 to 8:30 p.m., and you can book on OpenTable or by phone at (530) 587-9455.

We should say who we are: MG Vacation Rentals manages 41 homes on the North and West Shore of Lake Tahoe. We have no homes in Truckee or Tahoe Donner. Our closest are in Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista and Carnelian Bay, about 30 minutes' drive from The Lodge. Our guests come up here for weddings, a round of golf, a family ski day at Tahoe Donner Downhill, or dinner on the way in from I-80.

The Lodge at a glance

Source: Tahoe Donner's Lodge page and contact page. Hours change by season, and the Pavilion's summer service ends in October, so check before you go.

What is The Lodge at Tahoe Donner?

Tahoe Donner is a large residential community on the north side of Truckee, with its own golf course, downhill ski area, cross-country center, snowplay hill and other amenities. The Tahoe Donner Association, the homeowners' association, runs them. The Lodge is its main restaurant and event venue.

People search for it several ways: "Tahoe Donner Lodge," "The Lodge Truckee," "Lodge at Tahoe Donner." They all mean the same place. A few things it is not:

• It is not a hotel. There are no rooms at The Lodge.
• It is not on Donner Lake. It sits north of I-80 in the Tahoe Donner neighborhood. Donner Lake is about 10 minutes south by car.
• It is not the Downhill Ski Lodge. Tahoe Donner's ski area has its own lodge, which reopened in a new building for the 2025-26 season.

The Lodge restaurant and menu

The Lodge describes itself as a seasonal bistro, with local and organic meat and produce, a hand-picked wine list and a craft cocktail menu. It publishes separate lunch, dinner, dessert, kids' and drinks menus, and they change with the season. Tahoe Donner says The Lodge was recently voted "Best Food" and "Best Overall Restaurant" in Truckee.

We won't list dishes and prices here, because they change more often than we'd update this page. Check the current menus on Tahoe Donner's site before you go.

Restaurant or pub?

The dining room is the sit-down dinner. The pub is more casual. Both serve dinner Wednesday to Sunday. Book the dining room for a celebration or a group, and try the pub for a quicker meal after skiing or golf.

The Pavilion and social hour

In summer and early fall, the Pavilion serves breakfast and lunch outdoors, and there is a daily social hour from 3 to 5 p.m. For 2026, that runs through October 11, the same weekend the golf course closes for the season.

Reservations

Book on OpenTable or call (530) 587-9455. Weekends, holidays and summer evenings fill first. If it's a birthday or anniversary, say so when you book.

Weddings and events at The Lodge

The Lodge is Tahoe Donner's main wedding and banquet venue. According to Tahoe Donner's events page, it hosts weddings with indoor and outdoor options, rehearsal dinners, banquets, family reunions and corporate events, with in-house catering and audio-visual equipment.

Tahoe Donner doesn't publish capacities or prices online. You fill in an inquiry form, and the events team replies with availability, options and pricing. Contact them at (530) 587-9400 or info@tahoedonner.com.

Questions worth asking on your first call:

• Which spaces are available on your date, and how many guests each seats.
• Which months outdoor ceremonies are offered, and what the weather backup is.
• Site fees, food and beverage minimums, and what is included.
• Music curfews and end times, especially for outdoor events.
• Whether outside vendors (florists, photographers, cake) are allowed.

Other wedding venues near Donner Lake and Truckee

If you're searching for Donner Lake wedding venues, The Lodge is one of the closest, but it isn't on the water. Couples who want the lake itself often look at lakeside venues around Tahoe's North Shore instead. Book your venue before you book lodging: summer Saturdays go a year or more ahead.

Where to stay for a wedding or event at Tahoe Donner

For a wedding weekend, most guests want to be close to the venue for the late drive home. Tahoe Donner itself has private vacation homes. Truckee has hotels near downtown and around Donner Lake. Truckee's town rules require a short-term rental permit for vacation homes, so check that any home you book shows one.

Our homes are on the North Shore of the lake, not in Truckee. For a wedding group that wants lake days around the event, a base in Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista or Carnelian Bay works, about 30 minutes from The Lodge via Highway 267 and I-80:

• Kings Beach: the big public beach and the easiest drive up Highway 267 to Truckee.
• Tahoe Vista: quieter, with lake access and restaurants on the water.
• Carnelian Bay: residential and close to Gar Woods Grill & Pier.

Wedding groups often split across a few homes. See homes for large groups. If you book with us, book on our own site. Our nightly prices on Airbnb are set 28% higher than on our site, and 17% higher on Vrbo, and each home page shows the dollar saving for your dates.

In winter, check the roads. Highway 267 crosses Brockway Summit at about 7,200 feet between Kings Beach and Truckee, and chain controls are common in storms. Our winter guide covers chains and parking bans.

Things to do near The Lodge

Summer and fall

• Tahoe Donner Golf Course. The course The Lodge overlooks is open to the public, with tee times bookable online up to 28 days ahead. The 2026 season runs to October 11.
• Donner Lake. About 10 minutes south, with a public beach at the west end, paddling and Donner Memorial State Park at the east end.
• Downtown Truckee. About 10 minutes away: the historic main street, shops, galleries and restaurants.
• Truckee River. Our Truckee River rafting guide covers floating the river out of Tahoe City in summer.
• Hiking. See our Tahoe National Forest guide for trails around Truckee and Donner Summit.

Winter

• Tahoe Donner Downhill. A small, family-friendly ski area open to the public, with a new lodge and a kids' ski school. It is a gentle place for a first ski day. Check the site for the 2026-27 opening date.
• Tahoe Donner Snowplay. Tubing and sledding by reservation, booked online up to seven days ahead. It sells out over the holidays.
• Cross-country skiing. Tahoe Donner runs a cross-country center with groomed trails.
• Bigger mountains nearby. Northstar (Epic) is off Highway 267, and Palisades Tahoe (Ikon) is off Highway 89. Our Alpine Meadows guide covers the Alpine side of Palisades.

Tips for visiting The Lodge

• Check the day first: dinner is Wednesday to Sunday only.
• Book ahead for weekends, holidays and summer evenings.
• In summer and early fall, ask for outdoor seating with the golf course view.
• In winter, Tahoe Donner's roads are steep and snowy. Drive a car with snow tires and carry chains.
• If you're coming from the lake, allow about 30 minutes from Kings Beach and more in a storm.

Plan your visit

For dinner, a golf day or a wedding, The Lodge is one of Truckee's easiest places to plan around: open to the public, reservations online and a team that handles events in house. If you want to pair it with a few days on the lake, browse our North Shore homes or search your dates, and call us at (530) 317-0291 if you're booking for a wedding group.