See the summit before you drive it. Live Caltrans cameras and real-time conditions on I-80 over Donner Pass — one of the snowiest stretches of interstate in America, and the main Sierra Nevada crossing between Sacramento and Reno.
Donner Pass carries I-80 over the Sierra Nevada at 7,056 ft. Here's what to watch, and when it bites.
Donner is in a league of its own for snow. Sierra storms can drop feet in a day, and Caltrans runs chain controls and full closures on I-80 over the summit throughout the winter. When a big system lines up on the Sierra crest, this pass can close for a day or more — check the cameras and chain status before you head up.
At 7,056 feet, Donner sees chain requirements far more often than the lower coastal passes — in a wet winter, R2 (chains required) is a regular weekend condition, not a rare event. The name comes from the Donner Party of 1846, stranded here by exactly the kind of snow the cameras now let you check from your couch.
The cameras and alerts above are the stationary view — the Caltrans feeds you'd check before you leave. In the MileCheck app, the nearest camera and your exact mile marker follow you up the grade automatically, hands-free on CarPlay and Android Auto, so you're never guessing which stretch you're on.
The live map above shows active closures and incidents on I-80 over the summit, straight from Caltrans. See the whole route on the I-80 corridor page or the US closures map.
Very often in winter. Caltrans sets chain controls (R1/R2/R3) on I-80 that change with each storm — watch the live cameras above for snow on the roadway and always follow the posted control level.
The I-80 summit is 7,056 feet in the Sierra Nevada — far higher and snowier than the coastal passes, which is why chain controls here are routine, not rare.
On I-80 in the Sierra Nevada near Truckee, between Sacramento and Reno. Track your exact mile marker over the summit with the MileCheck app.
MileCheck shows your exact mile marker in real time as you drive I-80 over Donner Pass, plus the nearest camera and any alert on your route. Free to start, works offline, and runs on CarPlay and Android Auto.
MileCheck