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Sometime between March 4 and 5, significant damage to property caused by vandalism occurred at Spearfish Lake, WA. As a result, Spearfish Park is temporarily closed. If you have any info about this crime, please contact The Dalles Dam Ranger Office at 541-506-8470.

Navigation locks at Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day dams will be closed for scheduled maintenance, March 2 - March 17. Other Corps' operated locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers are also impacted. Click here for more information.

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Recreation resources

The Dalles Lock & Dam

The Dalles Lock and Dam

Built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Dalles Lock and Dam is one of the ten largest hydropower dams in the United States. Since its completion in 1957, it has provided the Pacific Northwest with a reliable water source for hydropower, navigation, recreation, fish passage, irrigation, and flood mitigation. The dam is 192 miles upriver from the mouth of the Columbia River and two miles east of the city of The Dalles, Ore.

Since its construction, the dam has generated more than 9.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and passed up to 10 million tons of river cargo annually.

The project consists of a concrete structure with a navigation lock, spillway, gated powerhouse and fish passage facilities. Various recreational facilities are provided along Lake Celilo, the 24-mile-long impoundment behind the dam.

Hydropower at The Dalles

Powerhouse length	2089 ft	638 m
Generators/total output	22	2100 mw

Navigation at The Dalles

Lock length	650 ft	198 m
Lock width	86 ft	26 m
Max. lift	90 ft	27 m
Avg. transit time	30 min.

Visiting The Dalles Lock & Dam

At The Dalles Dam Visitor Center, you 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.

The Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday, between May 1 and Memorial Day weekend. After Memorial Day, the center begins daily operations, seven days a week through Labor Day weekend. Labor Day through the end of September, weekend only operations resume. There are no fees for the Visitor Center.

Nearby Patterson and Seufert parks offer a perfect location to picnic and enjoy the scenic views of Mount Hood. Or walk the eastern end of The Dalles Riverfront trail and wander through the historic Seufert Rose Garden, where there are more than 90 varieties of roses.

To reach The Dalles Dam Visitor Center from I-84, take exit 87 and go east on Brett Clodfelter Way, located at the junction of Hwy. 197 and I-84. Address: 3545 Bret Clodfelter Way, The Dalles, OR 97058.

Map of The Dalles Dam and nearby amenities and facilities

Outdoor Recreation

Seufert Park (The Dalles, Ore.)
Amenities: covered picnic area, historic rose garden, scenic views of Mt. Hood, access to The Dalles Riverfront Trail
*Notice: Park is open dawn to dusk, year round. No bathrooms or water are available if the Visitors Center is closed.

Patterson Park (The Dalles, Ore.)
Amenities: gazebo, picnic area, bathrooms
*Notice: Patterson park is only accessible via special event permit. Call the Ranger Station at 541-506-7857 for more information.

Celilo Park (The Dalles, Ore.)
Amenities: life jacket loaner station, boat ramp, restrooms, picnic area, historic site

Rufus Landing (Ore.)
Amenities: vault toilets, windsurfing, kiteboarding, fishing, geocaching
Directions: From I-84, take exit 109 at Rufus. Go north towards river and left at intersection.

Hess Park (Lyle, Wash.)
Popular activities: fishing, wildlife viewing
Amenities: vault toilets, picnic area, pond

North Shore (Wash.)
Popular activities: fishing, geocaching
Amenities: boat launch, vault toilets, picnic area, scenic overlook
Directions: From Hwy. 197 north, cross the Columbia River bridge and turn right

Spearfish (Wash.)
Popular activities: fishing, hiking, geocaching
Amenities: boat ramp to Spearfish Lake, vault toilets

The Wall (Wash.)
Popular activities: windsurfing, kiteboarding, fishing
Amenities: portable bathrooms (seasonal), shore access to river
Directions: From I-84, take exit 104, turn north on Hwy. 97, cross the bridge and turn right. Continue heading east until paved road becomes gravel.

Avery Park (Lyle, Wash.)
Amenities: boat ramp (open to the public outside of commercial treaty fishing season), picnic area, vault toilets
Notice: The west portion of Avery Park is temporarily closed to vehicles and limited to day use only.

NOTE: All primitive campsites are first-come, first-serve with a 14-day use limit. All sites have access to the river and are popular sites for windsurfing and kite boarding.

Map of recreation around The Dalles Lock & Dam

PARTNER OPERATED

Columbia Hills State Park (Horsethief, Wash.) is operated by Washington State Parks. For information, call 509-767-1159. Life jacket loaner station on-site; first come, first served.

Heritage Landing State Park (Ore.) is operated by Oregon Parks and Recreation. For information, call 541-739-2322.

Maryhill State Park (Wash.) is operated by Washington State Parks. For information, call 509-773-5007. Life jacket loaner station on-site; first come, first served.