There is a fee charged for boat launching. The lake is open to both power and sail boats. The park has over three miles of frontage on Donner Lake and Creek. Fishing is not usually spectacular, though there are trout and kokanee in the lake. The lake is planted with trout and a fishing license is required.
Many fishermen prefer to use the park as a base to visit nearby lakes.
Maps are for sale at the museum. Also, located at Donner Memorial State Park is a campground of 150 sites and a day-use area along the lake with picnic tables, restrooms, a beach, fishing, and a lakeside interpretive trail that has 18 panels which discuss the nature and cultural diversity of the area. The Emigrant Trail Museum, located at Donner Memorial State Park, takes about 1 hour to visit and depicts the history of the area and the people who came into this part of the Sierra. Post cards, posters, maps, and books about the human and natural history of the area are for sale at the museum. Near the museum is the Pioneer Monument and the Murphy family cabin site.