Summit Valley

Summit Valley has been a scene of human activity for thousands of years because it is a natural crossing of the Sierra. Native Americans traveled through the valley moving from winter to summer residences, leaving grinding rocks and arrowheads in the valley and petroglyphs in many nearby locations. The first European Americans were excited to find Summit Valley after their months-long journey from the East, and in 1850 wagon travelers could be seen on the opposite side of the valley on their final leg into California after the hard Summit crossing. Summit Valley later became a commercial travel route with the Dutch Flat Donner Lake Toll Road. In 1866, thousands of Chinese railroad workers arrived at the summit to build the transcontinental railroad, which brought industry and eventually small communities along the railroad line, including stores, lumber mills, dairies, ice harvesting companies, and many places for lodging. The first transcontinental highway came through here in 1913, followed by Highway 40 in 1928, as automobiles also used this natural Sierra crossing.

California · United States