1. Glen Canyon Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam on the Colorado River, located in northern Arizona, just north of the Grand Canyon National Park. It was constructed between 1956 and 1963, and at the time of its completion, it was the highest dam in the world, standing at a height of 710 feet (216 meters). Some interesting facts about Glen Canyon Dam include:
- It provides hydroelectric power to millions of people in seven different states.
- During the dam’s construction, engineers had to divert the Colorado River through two four-mile-long tunnels to keep the construction site dry.
- It took over 4.9 million cubic yards of concrete to build the dam, which is enough to build a two-lane highway from Phoenix to Chicago.
- The dam created Lake Powell, which is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States and a very popular destination for boating, fishing, and other water sports.
2. The visitor center at Glen Canyon Dam is open daily from 9am to 4pm, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The phone number for the visitor center is (928) 608-6404.
3. Admission to the Glen Canyon Dam visitor center is free. Tours of the dam and power plant are available, but currently, due to COVID-19 restrictions, they are not offered on a regular basis. To check for tour availability and pricing, visit the website or call (928) 608-6200. There is ample parking available at the visitor center, and buses and RVs are welcome.
