The Donner occurrence is located at an elevation of 850 metres, approximately 1 kilometre northwest of the northern end of Donner Lake.

The area is underlain by Upper Triassic Vancouver Group rocks consisting of Karmutsen Formation basalts overlain by Quatsino Formation limestone. These are intruded by the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite consisting dominantly of quartz diorite with lesser diorite and granodiorite. A number of skarn showings are scattered within all three major rock units and at their contacts. Several of the skarns within the Karmutsen basalts are conformable, occupying highly amygdaloidal flow tops.

The Donner North occurrences consist of at least 3 different skarn out crops over an area of 300 by 200 metres. The zones are numbered 5, 3 and 4, from east to west, as reported in Assessment Report 8037.

The zone 5 skarn consists of 3 by 8 metre exposure of massive magnetite in basalt, dipping gently to the south west. A sample (13800) assayed 23 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 8037).

Zone 3 consists of a tabular garnet skarn, dipping gently east, and exposed over an area of 135 by 20 metres. Magnetite is hosted as fine lamellae, as veins and as pods in the garnet skarn. A sample (13796) assayed 0.358 per cent copper and 44 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 8037).

Zone 4 consists of a tabular, flat-lying magnetite-garnet skarn hosting chalcopyrite as patches and veins. The skarn is exposed for 2 by 40 metres. A sample (13808) assayed 4.8 per cent copper and 210 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 8037).

In 1978, a chip sample from a 1.8 tonne piece of float at the base of a steep cliff, apparently from outcrop exposed on the cliff face, assayed 52.8 grams per tonne silver and 10.75 per cent copper (Assessment Report 7410).

In 1963, Mastodon-Highland completed a program of geological mapping and a ground magnetometer survey on the area as the Gam claims. During 1973 through 1977, W. Babkirk prospected the area as the Donner and Heber claims. In 1978, Mont Alta Projects Ltd. completed a program of rock sampling and ground geophysical surveys on the area as the Donner Lake property. In 1979, CON-AM Resources optioned the property and completed a program of geological mapping, rock sampling and a ground magnetometer survey.