Most reviewed Dams in California

  1. 4.5 Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (312 reviews)
    - Stunning Scenery
    Dams • Waterfalls
    Hetch Hetchy Reservoir image
    Wow! This was by far our favorite part of visiting Yosemite. We drove up to the Hetch Hetchy road and waited for the ranger to open it right at 8am. Just a few minutes from there was the dam where we started our hike. Two young kids that made it all the way to Wapama falls and even swam in the pools below. Without the cool water, this may have been miserable. There is very little shade along the trail and although along the reservoir the entire time, there is no way to access it because of the steep drop offs. We saw many people struggling when we were nearing the dam at the end of our trip that were wearing flip flops/crocs and had one water bottle between them. Come prepared for high temps in the summer and start as early as you can get in the gate. When you get to the falls cross the first bridge and climb down under the second. This was where you could get into the water to cool off. See more..
  2. 4.5 Nimbus Dam and Fish Hatchery (65 reviews)
    - Children's field trip
    Saturday: Dams • Jogging Paths & Tracks
    Nimbus Dam and Fish Hatchery image
    I don't think I knew that this existed until I went on a field trip for my son. Nice guided tour of the outdoors and facilities. Able to see salmon spawning and swimming. The kids were able to interact with educational areas. They also watched a video on the fish and were able to feed the baby fish. The kids loved it. See more..
  3. 3.5 St. Francis Dam-Ruins of Collapsed Dam (25 reviews)
    - So Much History here along with a lot of memories
    Historic Sites • Dams
    St. Francis Dam-Ruins of Collapsed Dam image
    There is not much left to see of the dam, but if you research the history or travel with the historical society which offers tours once a year on the anniversary, this is an amazing place. How many chances will you have to visit a place of such catastrophe and have it brought to life, when it hasn't been changed or memorialized to an unrecognizable state. It is still here as it was. Come check it out. See more..
  4. 4.5 Box Canyon Dam (5 reviews)
    - Old car graveyard in the middle of the woods!
    Spent 1-2 hours Dams
    Box Canyon Dam image
    At first it seems like this is going to be like any other hike through the woods. Trees; the sun. Normal outdoors stuff. ...Until you start seeing garbage on the ground. But it's not, like, cigarette butts and beer bottles, the refuse of modern-day litterbugs/huge jerks--no, it's vintage garbage. Garbage from 60, 70, 80 years ago. A few paces later and it opens up into... A graveyard of old cars, buses and appliances! Apparently the top of the hill here used to be primo dumping ground; residents of the area would just roll their broken things down the hill to dispose of them. If you've ever wanted to see what a VW bus would look like after 70 years of being reclaimed by nature, this is the trip for you! A weird place for this kind of history, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! See more..
  5. 4.0 North Thermalito Forebay (5 reviews)
    - fun on the water
    Dams
    North Thermalito Forebay image
    Great place for water fun. You can rent a kayak, pedal boat, & other types of non motorized devices. I think the boat rentals are only Fri, Sat & Sun, but definitely worth it, on a hot weekend. See more..
  6. 4.0 Sutherland Dam (4 reviews)
    - Depends on the rainfall
    Spent 2-3 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Dams
    Sutherland Dam image
    Having seen Lake Sutherland when the water was going over the spillway, It looks kind of sad with the water level so low, Still, it is a lake and it is California in a drought. It is stocked and some springs flow into it. It is in a peaceful location and the exposed dam is quite interesting. There are hiking opportunities south of the dam. See more..
  7. 5.0 Avocado Lake Park (3 reviews)
    - Nature experience
    Saturday: 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM Bodies of Water • Hiking Trails • Dams
    Avocado Lake Park image
    Great area nice and clean, very peaceful enjoyes every moment of it. It's only $5 entry at the gate and there is lots of space. See more..
  8. 5.0 Calaveras Reservoir (2 reviews)
    - Scenic Drive to See Calaveras Reservoir - Part of Hetch Hetchy Project Bringing Water to the Bay Area, Milpitas,, CA
    Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas • Dams
    Calaveras Reservoir image
    We took a scenic drive to see Calaveras Reservoir. The lake itself is very pretty. There is a dam. It is the Hetch Hetchy project's largest Bay Area Reservoir ad provides local water to Bay Area residents. It was built in 1925. The drive through the hills to see it is very scenic. Motorcyclists and bikers also enjoy this drive. Do note that parts of the road are narrow so be aware of other traffic on the road. Given that the dam is in a wilderness area. one often has the opportunity to see wildlife. One might see deer (often), coyotes, squirrels, turkey vulture, turkeys, red-winged blackbirds, yellow-billed magpies, red-tailed hawks, brewer's blackbirds, purple martins, barn swallows, bullock's orioles and warblers. We have also seen eagles in the area. There is talk of replacing the dam with a new dam. This is also a seismic active area (i.e. earthquakes). See more..
  9. 5.0 Eastside Reservoir Project (1 review)
    - friends vacation
    Dams
    A giant recently built dam. See more..

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