Corps of Engineers begins seasonal tours at The Dalles Dam

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will offer regularly scheduled tours of The Dalles Dam May 24 and May 25 and has scheduled additional tours on Monday to celebrate Memorial Day.  Tours begin at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.  

On the tour, patrons will join a park ranger for a guided tour to learn about the dam’s history, operations, power generation and fish passage facilities. Tours begin at The Dalles Dam Visitor Center, where guests can explore a variety of interactive displays, watch a short film on the benefits and impacts of the dam, get a sneak peak of fish migrating up the fish ladder or browse the Discover Your Northwest bookstore. After exploring the visitor center, visitors will be transported to the site of the old canal and then to the powerhouse and fish ladder on shuttles.

Visitors also can enjoy Seufert Park, where they can wander through the historic Seufert Rose Garden, or bring a picnic and enjoy the park. The park offers scenic views of Mt. Hood and access to the eastern end of The Dalles Riverfront Trail.  A covered picnic shelter is available with plenty of shade.

Pre-registering for tours is strongly recommended, as space is limited. For questions and to register for a tour, call The Dalles Dam Visitor Center at 541-296-9778 or The Dalles Dam Ranger Office at 541-506-7857, or visit us at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Locations/ColumbiaRiver/TheDalles.aspx

The visitor center will be open weekends until mid-June.  Beginning June 16, the visitor center will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Labor Day.  After Labor Day the visitor center resumes its weekend schedule until it closes Sept. 28.  The visitor center will reopen in May 2015.  Weekend tours will be offered until the visitor center closes for the winter.

To reach The Dalles Dam Visitor Center, from Interstate 84, take Exit 87 and go east on Brett Clodfelter Way, located at the junction of U.S. Highway 197 and I-84.