Visit the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River
Underwater Fish Viewing, Free Tours and History Near Portland Oregon
Dec 11, 2008
The Bonneville Lock and Dam site is a great place to stop along I-84. Visitors can stretch out sore muscles while walking around the facilities, learning about hydropower, fish and history.
The Bonneville Dam site contains two Powerhouses and two Power Plants. The visitor center located at Powerhouse 2 also contains the Fish Viewing area. The powerful surge of water flowing through the Bonneville Dam fills the air with an exciting charge.
Bonneville Lock
Visitors watch ships and barges move up or down the Columbia River, navigating through the Bonneville Lock. Obtaining the lockage schedule gives visitors a better chance of watching a ship move through the lock. However, the lock itself is an amazing site! A caution should be given to those scared of heights or those experiencing vertigo.
Bonneville Fish Ladder Viewing
Perhaps the most popular site at Bonneville Dam is the fish ladder and fish viewing area. Visitors watch Chinook salmon, steelhead, shad and lamprey pass by big windows, with an underwater view as the fish move up the ladder. Visitors can watch fish through their journey up the ladder, following single fish from window to window. A daily fish count is tallied and displayed both at the facility and on the dam’s website. A fish camera also posts images online.
Bonneville Dam and Lock
Bonneville Lock and Dam is located 40 miles east of Portland along the Columbia River. The dam has been producing electric power for this region of the Northwest since 1938. Visitor access to the Bonneville Dam and visitor facilities is provided on both sides of the Columbia River, in Oregon and Washington. The visitor facilities are open to the public and free of charge. However, the visitor facilities for the navigation lock are found on the Oregon side only. U.S. Army Corps of Engineer guides and park rangers are available throughout the day, providing interpretive activities. Visitors find books, gifts and souvenirs at the gift shop.
Tour Options at Bonneville Dam and Lock
Visitors to Bonneville Dam have several options available for touring the facilities. Visitors can chose from a self-guided tour, interpretive presentations, or reserve a group tour. The two visitor centers are set up for self-guided tours with information booths and displays. Staff at the visitor centers provide 30 to 60 minute interpretive presentations including talks on fish, hydropower, history and audiovisual presentations at each visitor center. Group tour reservations are available for school groups or other large groups, with interpretive presentations by visitor center staff.
The Bonneville Dam Visitor Centers are open 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., daily and year-round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. The Bonneville Lock and Dam is located off Interstate 84, at exit 40 or off Washington State Highway 14 at milepost 40. The Bridge of the Gods, 2 miles east of the dam, provides public access between Oregon and Washington.
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