A WHOPPING 1,165 dams line Washington’s waterways, from small irrigation dams, like the five-foot Horn Rapids Dam that fills channels on either side of the Yakima River, to the more than 70 hydroelectric dams that help power cities on both sides of the Cascade curtain. None, however, is as impressive as the Grand Coulee (usbr.gov/pn/grandcoulee), just less than 90 miles west of Spokane.
Built from 1933 to 1942, the 550-foottall dam harnesses the power of more than 6 trillion gallons of water and, as the largest hydropower producer in the U.S., provides hydroelectric power to 11 states as well as irrigation to a half million acres of arid land. Shorter but wider than the Hoover Dam, the Grand Coulee can produce 6,809 megawatts of electricity when operating at full capacity.
Visit the dam’s power plant between April and October to see some of the largest turbines in the world, then take a van ride across the 5,223-foot long concrete monolith and gaze out to where the 151-mile long Lake Roosevelt (nps.gov/laro) stretches out to the horizon. During the summer months, stick around late into the night for a free, narrated laser light show that splashes color across the face of the dam and tells the story of how, and why, the Grand Coulee was constructed. —JULIE H. CASE
Read More About Northeast
The metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest, Spokane is a launching pad both for outdoor activities (kayaking, skiing, and hiking, to name a few) and for urban adventures.
Don't Miss
Dip your toe into the brisk water of Lake Roosevelt, and a refreshing chill will run to your head.
From our Archives
SPOKANE may be the second-largest city in Washington, but it also offers outdoors opportunities in abundance. For starters, 10,000-acre Riverside State Park offers canoeing and kayaking along the Little Spokane River...
Tracking heritage in Northeast Washington
Play your way in Spokane.
THOUGH CALLED The Lilac City for the purple blooms that thrive in the area, Spokane gets its name from the nearby Native American tribe of the same name, which means Children of the Sun in Salish.
Traversing the Northwests Inland Empire.
MORE THAN 50 percent of downtown Spokanes buildings have historic significance. In addition to the iconic Davenport Hotel and Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, here are five not to miss...
A WHOPPING 1,165 dams line Washingtons waterways, from small irrigation dams, like the five-foot Horn Rapids Dam that fills channels on either side of the Yakima River, to the more than 70 hydroelectric dams that help power cities on both sides of the Cascade curtain.
TASTE TO TOUCH and everything in between, these Spokane attractionsgive a new feel for the Pacific Northwest.
With Idaho to the east and Canada to thenorth, this corner of the state dishes upa smorgasbord of eats from near and far.
The International Selkirk Loopa 280- mile scenic byway that skirts rivers, lakes, and the Selkirk Mountainsencompasses Highways 20 and 31 in Washington and winds through two states and British Columbia.
The northeast corner of the state is a rural patchwork full of small towns, lofty mountains, and wide-open spaces.
Find Out More
Please visit our Tourism Partners
Colville Chamber of Commerce
509-684-5973
Greater Newport Area Chamber of Commerce
509-447-5812, 877-818-1008
Republic Regional Visitors & Convention Bureau
509-775-3387
Visit Spokane
888-SPOKANE