--- title: "Donnells Vista — A Two-Thousand-Foot Granite Gorge | Arnold Haven" description: "Donnells Vista from Arnold: a hundred yards of path off Highway 108 for one of the biggest canyon views in the Sierra." lang: en json-ld: --- [Skip to content](#main-content) [![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png)Arnold Haven Arnold · California ](/) [Cabins](/cabins)[Explore](/explore)[Guides](/guides)[Membership](/circle)[Support](/chalet-bruin-future)[Merch](/merch)[Book a stay](/cabins) ![Donnells Vista](/assets/donnells-overlook-Cucw-WT_.jpg) Explore Arnold # Donnells Vista Five minutes off Highway 108 for one of the biggest views in the Sierra: a granite gorge two thousand feet deep with Donnells Reservoir a thin blue line at the bottom of it. [Check availability](/cabins)[See the cabins](/cabins) First things first ## First things first Donnells Vista is a Forest Service overlook above the Middle Fork Stanislaus, reached by a paved spur and a short walk from the parking area. The canyon below is glacier-scoured granite, sheer on both sides, with the long thin reservoir held behind a dam far down in the shade. It is the best return on effort anywhere on Highway 108: about a hundred yards of flat path from the car. From Arnold it is roughly an hour and three quarters by way of Sonora, which makes it a natural stop rather than a destination of its own. ![The deep granite gorge of the Middle Fork Stanislaus with Donnells Reservoir far below](/assets/donnells-overlook-Cucw-WT_.jpg) Geography ## Where Donnells Vista sits ![Illustrated antique-style map of California inside the United States with a gold marker on Donnells Vista above the Stanislaus gorge, with an engraved deep granite canyon and a narrow reservoir](/assets/donnells-vista-RQ0oaV_6.jpg) Illustrated locator map — for orientation, not navigation. The overlook stands on the rim of a glacier-cut granite gorge some two thousand feet above Donnells Reservoir, on the Middle Fork Stanislaus. It is a hundred yards of flat path from the car, which makes it the largest view for the least effort anywhere on the corridor. It is about 65 miles from Chalet Bruin and Koda Loft via Sonora — roughly an hour and three quarters. Region Central Sierra Nevada, Middle Fork Stanislaus canyon County Tuolumne County Elevation About 5,700 ft at the overlook Nearest town Strawberry, west along the highway Getting there Highway 108 east, then a short paved spur to the overlook 02 ## What you see, and when to see it The view runs east up the canyon toward the crest, with domes and slabs stacked above the water and the dam visible at the head of the gorge. Late afternoon light rakes the granite and is worth timing for; midday flattens it. Autumn adds colour along the creeks, and after a wet winter the side canyons run with visible waterfalls. Bring binoculars. Peregrine falcons and eagles work the canyon, and the scale of the place is easier to read when you can pick out individual pines on the far wall. ![A short paved path between low stone walls leading to a forest overlook](/assets/donnells-path-D6LVCzPg.jpg) ![The deep granite gorge of the Middle Fork Stanislaus with Donnells Reservoir far below](/assets/donnells-overlook-Cucw-WT_.jpg) 03 ## Practicalities There are toilets and picnic tables at the parking area and no other facilities, water or phone signal. The path is short and mostly firm, with a viewing area behind a low wall; a wheelchair can manage it in dry conditions with a push, though it is not formally graded. The spur road is unplowed in winter and closed by snow, typically from November into May. Between June and October it is open and easy. Check the Summit Ranger District's current road information if you are visiting at either end of that window. 04 ## Pairing it with the rest of the corridor Donnells sits between Beardsley and the Columns of the Giants, so it fits neatly into a day that also takes in Pinecrest, the Gargoyles or a run at Sonora Pass. Fifteen minutes here is enough; an hour with a picnic is better. - [CHALET BRUIN — 12 guests, 5 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/chalet-bruin) - [KODA LOFT — 4 guests, 2 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/koda-loft) Nearby ## Keep exploring [ ![Beardsley Lake](/assets/beardsley-canyon-dlxnW0U2.jpg) ### Beardsley Lake The reservoir in the next canyon west, and the only one you can launch a boat on. Discover ↗ ](/explore/beardsley-lake) [ ![Trail of the Gargoyles](/assets/gargoyles-rim-BavKT0s7.jpg) ### Trail of the Gargoyles Volcanic towers on a rim walk up the dirt road above Strawberry. Discover ↗ ](/explore/trail-of-the-gargoyles) [ ![Sonora Pass](/assets/sonora-pass-summit-BV_ZHJdT.jpg) ### Sonora Pass Carry on east and up to the 9,624-foot crossing in the summer months. Discover ↗ ](/explore/sonora-pass) Good to know ## Frequently asked questions How long is the walk to Donnells Vista? + About a hundred yards of flat path from the parking area. Fifteen minutes is enough for the view; take a picnic and stay longer. Is Donnells Vista open in winter? + No. The spur road is unplowed and usually closed by snow from November into May. June through October is the reliable window. Are there facilities? + Toilets and picnic tables at the parking area, and nothing else — no water, no shop and no phone signal. How far is it from Arnold? + About an hour and three quarters via Sonora and Highway 108, on the way up toward Pinecrest and Sonora Pass. ![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png) Arnold Haven Cabin stays in Arnold, California — minutes from Calaveras Big Trees State Park, White Pines Lake and Bear Valley. 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