DamTour 2012 : The best "dam" motorcycle event in the Northwest    

 

20 Dam Good Places to Ride !

Study your maps and combine dams for some great weekend (or longer) trips. Not all the dams will have the "wow" factor, in fact sometimes not much more than a big mud puddle, but hopefully you will enjoy the area and the roads to it. Each year we try and spread these all across Oregon and Washington for a varied experience in places you may not have gone before. Check the "Riders Talk" page for postings of other riders looking for someone to ride along. You can also log your progress. The list below gives the GPS, and approximate location, but be sure to check out each dam page for more detailed information and local resources, and sometimes rider perks. ** BE CAREFUL and be sure to read the dam map pages. Two of our dams, one in Oregon, one in Washington, have extra destinations and photos required this year to earn the trophy. If you miss one, you miss out.

When you have photos of your dam visits email them to me for ranking credit. These are great places to visit on a motorcycle. Enjoy the ride and be safe.

* A note on GPS coordinates: These are approximate, but should be close enough to get you there. Don’t expect a guided tour. :-)

2011 & 2012 Dam Tour List   (*clicking on the GPS co-ordinance will take you to that map.)

OREGON . . .

  1. Silverton Reservoir Dam  ( 46 miles from PDX -- 220 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Silverton Dam (also called Silver Creek Dam) is 2.5 miles southeast of the city of Silverton, Oregon on Oregon Route 214. Check out Silver Falls in the Silver Falls State Park further up the road. O'Brien's Cafe, on Water St is a biker favorite.
          GPS  44.98264°N - 122.74603°W    or   44° 58’ 57” N - 122° 44 ’ 45 ” W

  2. Fall Creek Dam  ( 127 miles from PDX -- 301 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Fall Creek Dam is located about 25 miles southeast of Eugene, near Lowell, Oregon.
          GPS   43.94212° N - 122.75767° W    or   43° 56 ’ 31” N - 122° 45 ’ 27” W

  3. Ochoco Dam  ( 155 miles from PDX -- 320 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Ochoco Dam is located 6 miles east of Prineville on Hwy 26. This area and local parks are heavily used in the summer, be careful if you are on the road. Stop and see the Bear in Mitchell(if he is still there) on your way to Willow Creek.
           GPS   44.29853° N - 120.72559° W    or   44° 17 ’54” N - 120° 43 ’ 32 ” W

  4. North Unit Diversion Dam ( 173 miles from PXD -- 326 miles from Sea-Tac )
    This dam is in Bend, Oregon. There are four dams in total in the city limits. It is on NE Division Street, south of Pro Caliber. There will be a group ride and BBQ at Pro Caliber, Bend. Details will be posted.
          GPS   44.07569° N - 121.30671° W     or   44° 04 ’ 326” N - 121° 18 ’ 24 ” W

  5. Whistlers Bend Dam   ( 193 miles from PDX -- 482 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Whistlers Bend Dam is 23.6 miles from Wilbur(north of Roseburg), going over North Bank Rd to South Bank Drive. It is a great ride and comes highly recommended.
          GPS   43.30230° N - 123.20952° W     or   43° 18 ’ 08 ” N - 123° 12 ’ 34 ” W

  6. Willow Creek Dam ( 220 miles from PDX --  286 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Willow Creek Dam is at the southeastern edge of Heppner, Oregon, out Willow Creek Road. Be sure and take the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway to Ukiah, it's a top ten road.
           GPS   45.34682° N - 119.54493° W     or   45° 20 ’48” N - 119° 32’41” W

  7. Selmac Dam (270 miles from PDX -- 444 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Lake Selmac Dam is a dam located just 7.6 miles from Cave Junction, and 18 miles southwest of Grants Pass, near Selma off Hwy 199, follow Lake Shore Drive. For a great ride come in from Brookings and take the Smith River cut-off.
           GPS   42.26451° N - 123.57814° W     or   42° 15 ’52” N - 123° 34 ’ 41 ” W

  8. Gerber Dam ( 317 miles from PDX -- 491 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Gerber Dam and Reservoir, on Miller Creek is 14 miles east of Bonanza, Oregon, and 33 miles southeast of Klamath Falls. State RT 140 to 70.
           GPS  42.20131° N -121.13008° W     or   42° 12 ’ 014” N - 121° 07’ 48” W

 

WASHINGTON . . .

  1. Dugualla Dam ( 89 miles from Sea-Tac -- 263 miles from PDX )
    Dugualla Dam is on Whidbey Island, and about six miles from the Deception Pass area. The road is the dam/dike which separates Puget Sound from the damned water.
           GPS   48.35653° N - 122.598138° W     or   48° 21’ 23 ” N - 122°35’ 53 ” W

  2. Upper Baker Dam ( 103 miles from Sea-Tac -- 277 miles from PDX )
    100 miles north of Seattle, heading our Hwy 20 to Concrete. Nine miles upstream of Lower Baker Dam, on Baker River Road.
           GPS  48.64918° N - 121.69052° W     or   48° 38 ’ 57 ” N - 121° 41’25” W

  3. Wynoochee Dam ( 127 miles from Sea-Tac -- 165 miles from PDX )
    Approximately 37 miles west of Olympia on SR 8/ SR12. Just past Montesano head north on Wynoochee Road (FS 22). Take FS 2270 to access the east side of the lake or FS 2294 to access the west side and campgrounds. Check DamTour.com for more details. It's paved ALL the way if you choose the right route.
           GPS  47.38541° N - 123.60535° W    or   47° 23 ’ 07 ” N - 123° 36 ’ 19” W

  4. Roza Diversion Dam - ( 132 miles from Sea-Tac -- 198 miles from PDX )
    The Roza Diversion Dam is located on Hwy 821 about 10 miles north of Yakima and 21 miles south of Ellensburg. It can be viewed from the Hwy and a dirt hard packed road leads down to the base of the dam as seen in the photos.
           GPS  46.749077° N - 120.46575° W     or   46° 44 ’ 56” N - 120° 27’ 56 ” W

  5. Swift Dam (176 miles from Sea-Tac -- 56 miles from PDX )
    At Woodland Exit (Exit 21 off I-5) Head east on Hwy 503 and USFS Road 90, approximately 36 miles (7 miles east of Cougar) to Swift Reservoir. Continue east then south to Carson and and the Bungalow Bar & Grill. Check out the Fish Hatchery on the way. Be sure not to be fooled by the first dam, check the map and dam page.
           GPS  46.06326° N - 122.19796° W     or   46° 03’47 ” N - 122°11’ 52” W

  6. O'Sullivan Dam (186 miles from Sea-Tac -- 284 miles from PDX )
    O'Sullivan Dam is 15 miles south of Moses Lake. Hwy 17 to O'Sullivan Dam Road and you are there.
           GPS  46.97652° N - 119.30290° W     or   46°58’ 35” N - 119° 18’ 10 ” W

  7. North Dam ( 227 miles from Sea-Tac -- 335 miles from PDX )
    North Dam is located  2 miles southwest of Grand Coulee Dam just off Hwy 2 outside of a small town called Electric City... shocking!
           GPS  47.94037° N - 119.01742° W     or   47° ’56 25 ” N - 119°01’02” W

  8. Sullivan Lake Dam ( 375 miles from Sea-Tac -- 448 miles from PDX )
    Sullivan Lake is tucked away in the hills east of Metaline Falls, and is about 95 miles north of Spokane. Hidden just east and south of Boundary Dam that was on last years list. If you get here late the Circle Motel just to the north is safe.
           GPS  48.83937° N - 117.28892° W     or   48° 50 ’ 21 ”N - 117° 17 ’ 20 ” W

                     
WA Dams       OR Dams

BONUS Dams . . . 2012

  1. Lahontan Dam - Nevada (633 miles from PDX -- 806 miles form Sea-Tac )
    On Nevada's Hwy 50, also know as The Loneliest Road in America..... need I say more? Lahontan Dam is located 45 miles east of Carson City, Nevada just off of US Highway 50. Access to Lahontan Dam from US Highway 50 is on the south side of the dam. You cannot access the north side of the dam. Ten miles east of Silver Springs Nevada, take Cadet Road off of US 50. Follow the signs to the park.
           GPS  39.46061° N - 119.06502° W     or   93 ° 27 ’ 48 ”N - 119° 04 ’01” W

  2. Yellowtail Dam - Montana ( 983 miles from PDX -- 910 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Yellowtail Dam is located just outside of Fort Smith, Montana. Although by air, the dam is only 45 miles southeast of Billings Montana; it is 90 miles by road. The main access to this remote dam is from the northeast VIA highway 313. The visitor center is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and is the only place to get a view of the dam. The Yellowtail Dam signs at the foot of the hill can be used for your photo is necessary.
           GPS  45.30843° N - 107.95569 ° W     or   45° 18 ’ 24”N - 107° 57’ 27 ” W

  3. Boysen Dam - Wyoming (997 miles from PDX -- 994 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Located just off Hwy 20, on the Wind River approximately 17 miles south of Thermopolis, Wyoming, at the mouth(south end) of the beautiful and interesting Wind River Canyon.
           GPS  43.41682 ° N - 108.17746° W     or   43 °25’ 02” N - 108° 10 ’ 39” W

  4. Navajo Dam - New Mexico ( 1209 miles from PDX -- 1274 miles from Sea-Tac )
    Navajo Dam is in the northwest section of New Mexico, not far from the famous "Four Corners". It is located approximately 40 miles northeast of Farmington, New Mexico and 50 miles Southeast of Durango, Colorado.
           GPS  36.80759° N - 107.61032° W     or   36° 48 ’ 01” N - 107°36’45” W

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