Plan a Fun Watery Side Trip...to A Worldclass Dam

Want your road trip to include floating campsites, laser shows or towering view platforms overlooking lakes and hills? Plan a quick detour to a dam.

Even someone with no interest in engineering still appreciates sparkling lakes, wildlife preserves and campgrounds available at these destinations.

“There are reservoirs and lakes throughout the country that are great for photography enthusiasts and family vacations,” said Aaron Wright, who oversees the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area. “Oroville is unique and the jewel of the California’s water project. We even have floating camping sites on the lake.”

Travelers need not appreciate dams for their environmental impact and engineering ingenuity to enjoy the grounds. The dam itself doesn’t even need to be part of your plans, though visitor areas and guided tours are often readily available, Wright said.

“There’s presentations, nature walks and artifacts,” said Wright. “There’s all sorts of information about culture, water saving and importance of water in the country.”

Children appreciate dams–if only for enabling them a loophole to cursing. Fortunately, dams often include interactive visitors centers aimed at engaging children the novelty of underhanded profanity wears off.

A 47-foot platform viewing tower provides jaw-dropping views of the lake and region, he said.

“Oroville is the jewel of California’s state water project,” he said.

Interested in seeing the tallest dams in the nation? Head to California, where five of the 10 largest are housed. Or visit Nevada and see the nation’s famous and iconic Hoover Dam.

Consider making a brief stop at any of these testaments to man’s ability to harness nature. Your family will enjoy the dramatic views of nature and surging water found at the following list of world-class dams:

• Washington’s Grand Coulee Dam– Spanning nearly a mile, the dam helped create the Lake Roosevelt National Camping Area. Visit between Memorial Day and the end of September to witness nightly laser shows.
• Michigan’s Redridge Steel Dam– Included on the National Register of Historic Places, this dam features jutting, rusted steel beams create dramatic angles that coax photographers from all parts of the world. All steel dams are tremendously rare, making Redridge Steel Dam a unique place to visit.
• Nevada’s Hoover Dam–The iconic dam now features a four-lane bypass bridge completed in 2010. The Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge runs parallel to the dam and offers the dam protection against a terrorist attack as well as a quicker route for drivers. Visitors can still walk atop the Hoover Dam, which closed to vehicle traffic in recent years. Stunning valley views immediately come into focus as the mighty Colorado River rolls below. The Hoover Dam stands 726 feet above the river and weighs in at more than 13 trillion pounds.
• California’s Oroville Dam– Besides being the tallest dam in the nation at 770 feet, Oroville includes floating campsites on the lake, a 47-foot viewing platform and free admission.
• California’s Shasta Dam– This dam serves as a tourist attraction for the Northern California city of Redding. Guided tours, houseboats and cabin rentals are all available to visitors.
• Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam–The visitor’s center includes 45-minute guided tours and a walking bridge overlooks the cavernous gorge. The Colorado River’s green and blue hues play perfectly off the canyon’s brick red earth.