There are amazing options for families when traveling to Oregon… Portland’s OMSI on the waterfront, visits to natural wonders like Crater Lake and Silver Falls. But a must-see for family travel in Oregon is the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge.
Come along with us and we’ll show you both educational and fun times at the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery.
Getting to Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery
You’ll be driving east on I-84 out of Portland through the scenic Columbia River Gorge. On the way you’ll pass majestic Multnomah Falls and the stunning basalt cliffs that line the gorge. Huge barges traverse the river on your left. The hatchery and road to the dam visitors center is located about 40 miles east of Portland. You’ll be taking Exit 40.
Bonneville Dam, in the Columbia River Gorge, is a fascinating place to visit. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
Herman the Sturgeon Lurks at Bonneville Fish Hatchery
The Bonneville Hatchery was built in 1909. The ornate buildings and gardens harken back to a more elegant time. Up to a million people from all over the world visit the hatchery each year.
This historic buildings and beautiful gardens at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
It’s a working hatchery that raises Chinook and Coho Salmon. Adult salmon begin arriving at the hatchery in September for spawning.
As you pass through the gates, there will be a parking lot to the left. Visiting the fish hatchery should be first on your list. There are long concrete ponds and, during our July visit, they were filled with fingerling salmon. We watched as an employee tossed food into the ponds. The water glistened with silver scales as the little fish leapt from the water in anticipation of reaching the food.
There are gardens to wander and wooded ponds to discover.
The lavender was blooming as my older granddaughter spent time photographing flowers. Photo courtesy Abby Nelson
We soon came upon a pond with full-grown rainbow trout. For 25 cents you can feed them. There is a dispenser.
Mary, my younger granddaughter got to feed the trout. Photo courtesy Abby Nelson
While they are rather well-fed and somewhat lazy in the summer, my granddaughter was able to get them to drift over to her for a bit of food. It’s interesting to see them close up and their rainbow-colored scales are beautiful.
These brilliant Rainbow Trout are a draw for visitors who get to see them close up. Photo courtesy Abby Nelson
But the most exciting pond to visit is the Sturgeon Pond. There is one outdoor pond that has young sturgeon in it. Young, perhaps, but huge! The sturgeon, native to the Columbia River, are truly prehistoric, having evolved over 200 million years ago. And, they look like a prehistoric fish today. They can grow to a length of 20 feet and live to be 100 years old.
Herman the Sturgeon is huge (and not particularly attractive!) Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
Make sure you visit Herman while you are there. Beyond the outdoor sturgeon pond there is a small white building, the Sturgeon Viewing Center. Herman the Sturgeon lives in Sturgeon Viewing Center pond along with a few of his friends. He is 10 feet long, weighs 425 pounds and is over 60 years old. It’s fascinating to watch the sturgeon swim around the pond and come close to the glass… that thrills the children.
And lastly, the gift shop at the Hatchery has snacks and souvenirs.
Bonneville Dam Visitors Center
You’ll get back in your car to drive over to the Bradford Island Visitors Center. You’ll be stopping at the guard station. They’ll check your car and ask you if you are carrying firearms. The dam is a Federal facility.
Once you pass security, you may be fortunate enough to see a boat or huge barge go through the dam locks. The Navigation Lock Visitor Area parking lot is just past the guard station as the road veers to the left. This area is open daily, the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day from 1 to 4 p.m. If a vessel is going through the locks, be sure and go up to see the action. You won’t be able to pass by the locks anyway!
The locks allow boats and barges to go from one water level to the next as they pass the dam. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
If the lock is not being used, you’ll proceed across the swing bridge and right onto the first powerhouse of the dam. You’ll be driving slowly and end up at a large parking lot at the Bradford Island Visitors Center.
There you will learn about Bonneville Dam as well as see the water rushing out of the spillway. No matter how you feel about dams on the beautiful rivers of the Pacific Northwest, you have to admit that Bonneville Dam is impressive and a must-see for children.
The water gushes out via the spillway. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
A Public Works Administration project of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, portions of Bonneville Lock and Dam Project were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
The first powerhouse, spillway and original navigation lock were completed in 1938 to improve navigation on Columbia River and provide hydropower to the Pacific Northwest. A second powerhouse was completed in 1981, and a larger navigation lock in 1993.
There are interactive displays in the visitors’ center where you can learn about the history of the area and the technology involved with hydroelectric power. And, if you collect the National Park Passport stamps, you can get one there.
The visitor’s center has several observation decks. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
But we were interested in learning more about the life cycle of the salmon so took the elevator down to the fish ladder windows.
Beware the Ugly Lamphrey
When you build a dam on the river, the fish can no longer travel upstream to spawn so the answer is fish ladders. There are ladders on both sides of Bonneville Dam. Salmon spend most of their adult years in the ocean and then return upriver to spawn and die.
Depending on the season, you may see Salmon, Steelhead and Chad passing by the viewing windows. Off to the right is a room where you can see people actually counting the number of fish that pass through the ladders.
The day we were there, we saw a few silver-scaled Chad but no salmon. But, we did see the ugly Lamphrey attached to the windows by their suction cup shaped mouths. Not a pretty sight but fascinating to children! Lamphrey are important to the area Native tribes who have traditional fishing rights. They look so much like an eel (and swim like them too) that people often call them “lamprey eels.” Like salmon, Lamphrey live in the ocean and return to the river to reproduce.
Depending on the season, you might see these ugly Lamphrey who attach themselves to the fish viewing window. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
You can view the fish ladder from above as well. There are observation decks at several places in the Visitors Center as well as pathways outside where you can stop and marvel at the power of the water coming out of the spillway.
Be sure and look at the fish ladder from the top. It’s amazing to see how hard the fish work to get from one level to the next. Photo by Elizabeth R Rose
When You Go To Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery
Bonneville Dam is a Federal facility run by the Army Corps of Engineers. It can be closed to visitors at any time. Both at the dam and fish hatchery, activities are seasonal so what one person sees in the fall may be different from what we saw during our summer visit. Entry to both areas is free of charge.
For more information visit the Bonneville Lock and Dam and Bonneville Fish Hatchery websites. And, be sure and see what Wander With Wonder writers have to say about the Columbia River Gorge.
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