Shasta Dam
The second-tallest concrete gravity dam in the United States; you can walk along the crest and look out over Shasta Lake and the snow-capped Mount Shasta.
Shasta Dam was completed in 1945. At about 183 meters high, it is the second-tallest concrete dam in the United States, and it impounds Shasta Lake, California's largest reservoir. The road on the crest can be walked for free. Looking north you see the lake, and on clear days Mount Shasta, covered in snow, appears in the distance. The visitor centre displays the history of the dam's construction. Free guided tours (advance booking required, with strict security) take you by elevator into the dam body and the power plant. It is about a 20-minute drive from Redding.
Opening hours
Visitor center approx. 08:30–16:30; dam crest approx. 06:00–22:00
Nearby sights
- Shasta Lake
- Sacramento River Trail
- Sundial Bridge
- Turtle Bay Exploration Park & McConnell Arboretum
- Shasta State Historic Park
- Cascade Theatre
- Lake Shasta Caverns
- Whiskeytown Lake (Whiskeytown NRA)