Multiple times throughout our vacation we had passed through the town of Hungry Horse and kept seeing signs for the Hungry Horse Dam. We weren’t really sure what this would be or if it was something worth seeing, but with the heat, it was worth taking a drive up to see.
The drive to the dam is lovely along the side of a mountain.
Hungry Horse Dam is one of the largest concrete arch dams in USA, standing 564 feet tall. Interestingly this dam provides 60% of the hydroelectric power for the Northwest.
You can walk along the top of the dam. There is a sidewalk all of the way around. There is also a cute little free information centre/museum. It was quite interesting all of the history of the dam. They had some activities for the kids to enjoy so parents could check out the displays and information which was appreciated. The staff were friendly and glad to share information with visitors.
The Glory Hole was pretty neat to see. This is used when the water levels become too high in the reservoir to be able to quickly dump water down the river.
We took a drive across the bridge to enjoy the views from the road along the reservoir and of the surrounding area known as the Hungry Horse Reservoir Recreation Area.
What are some places you hadn’t planned to see on a vacation or didn’t know about until you passed a sign for it? Was it a hidden gem?
To read about more of our adventures while visiting Glacier National Park check out some of the links below:
Day 1 – Getting our Bearings in St Mary’s
Day 2 – Waterfalls and a boat tour on the East side of the park
Day 3- Driving the Going-To-The-Sun Road and hiking at Logan’s Pass
Day 4 – Full day ranger led hike to Iceberg Lake
Day 5 – Quiet day exploring the west side of the park
Day 6 – Ranger led hike to Avalanche Lake
Day 7 – Family fun at Whitefish Mountain
Day 9 – Two Medicine Valley
