Bonneville Dam

Bonneville Dam spans the Columbia River about four miles west of Cascade Locks. Completed in 1938, it was the first federal dam built on the river and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as both a hydroelectric power plant and a fish passage facility.

The Bradford Island Visitor Center on the Oregon side has exhibits on the dam's history, hydropower and the river's salmon runs. Underwater windows at the fish ladder let visitors watch salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey swim upstream, with the largest runs in spring and fall. A fish hatchery and the Sturgeon Viewing Center, with its large white sturgeon, are nearby on the Oregon shore.

Check current visitor center hours and any closures before you go.