Shasta Dam

Introduction:

What? :

Shasta Dam that was built in 1945 is one of the largest concrete dams in the USA, it hold back the Sacramento Rive and create Shasta Lake behind it.

Shasta Lake is the California largest reservoir covering surface area of 30,000 acres; when it is full it hold 4,552,000 acre ft (5.615 km3) water, it has 370 miles of shoreline and five major lake arms. The lake extends for 15.3 miles (24.6 km) up the Sacramento River and branches for more than 21 miles (34 km) up the Pit River, which is the largest river flowing into the lake.

 

Where? :

The Dam is located just 15 miles north of Redding.

Google Map Link

 

 

When? :

Visitors can participate in a self-guided walking tour across the top of the dam, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Beginning Sunday, May 7 through Monday, (Labor Day) Sept. 4, Shasta Dam Visitor Center will be open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday; closed: Wednesday and Thursday.

 

 

Due note 1: Free admission.

 

Due note 2: There is a large parking lot near the Dam visitor center, restrooms are available.

 

Due note 3: When we visit here (June 2023) the guided tore to the powerhouse below the dam was not operative.

 

 

My thoughts:

We visit here as part of our north California road trip. It is interesting to see the site and we enjoy the 20 minutes long movie at the visitor center.

The Dam structure is impressively big, and the lake view with mount Shasta is nice.

 

 

The visit:

Park near the visitor center and get inside.

I highly recommend watching the 20 minutes long movie that shows how they built this Dum in the early 40’s (of the 20s century).

 

After watching the movie, we saw the visitor center exhibits and from here we went to the Dam itself.

 

You can walk over the Dam all the way to the other side and enjoy the view to the lake on one side or look down to the powerhouse on the other.

 

After our visit at the dam site, on our way out, we stop at a high viewing point on the side of the road. From here you have a panoramic vista of the dam and the lake and the mountains on the other side of the river valley.

 

www:

https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ncao/shasta-dam.html

 

 

Additional Pictures: