Places to See, To Dos

Grand Coulee Dam Tour Times 2018

The Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and public tours are offered from Memorial Day until the end of October. Those interested in the tour should call the visitor center at (509) 633-9265 beforehand to ensure that tours are being given that day, as maintenance on the dam can disrupt tour times.

From the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day, Public tours begin at 10 a.m, 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m. daily.

After Labor Day until the end of October, tours are given daily at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., and 4 p.m.

From the Visitor Center, visitors will ride a shuttle bus to the pumping plant where they will view the gigantic pumps that lift water from Lake Roosevelt to be delivered throughout the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project.

Visitors will then ride the shuttle bus across the top of Grand Coulee Dam for spectacular views of Lake Roosevelt and the Columbia River as it winds through the town of Coulee Dam.

The tours take about 50 minutes.

For more information, call (509) 633-9265.

The Visitor Center is open daily from 9 to 5, except on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and January 1.

Please note that for security reasons, no bags of any kind are allowed on tours. This includes diaper bags and camera cases. (Cameras are OK).

Boating, swimming and fishing, Day Trips

Popular fishing spot at base of dam reopens

You can now fish along the east side of the Columbia River near the Third Powerhouse of Grand Coulee Dam from sunrise until sunset.

Closed after the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001, the spot is being reopened nearly 17 years later and will be patrolled by Colville Tribal Enforcement, a Colville Confederated Tribes Fish & Wildlife press release stated Friday.

Boats are not allowed past the SR-155 bridge in Coulee Dam, but anglers on foot can walk on a trail above the riprap rocks all the way to a popular rock formation right near the Third Powerhouse.

“Fishermen must take the Lone Pine exit from Highway 155 to the Down River Trail Road and park in the designated parking area,” the tribal press release stated. “Non-tribal members must have a tribal fishing permit in order to fish in this location. Colville tribal members must possess a Colville tribal identification card, which is a legal permit to fish. If safety issues are observed, security will re-evaluate the boundaries for access. For safety reasons, we would like the public to be aware that water flows will pick up during the spring run-off season, so please be careful.”

For regulations and permits, interested persons should visit https://www.cct-fnw.com/regulations-permits.

For more information, contact the Resident Fisheries Manager, Bret Nine, at 509-209-2419 or the Fish and Wildlife office at 509-634-2110.

A map showing the fishing spot and how to access it
Entertainment, Events, Soon, To Dos

Colorama Carnival to Return

Young people enjoy a ride at last year’s Colorama carnival

Carnival tickets are on sale this week, offering substantial savings for early birds, a chamber of commerce official reported.

Executive Director Peggy Nevsimal stated those who purchase carnival tickets by Thursday, May 10, will save $10. Tickets for early buyers are $20, while the same ticket will cost $30 the day of the carnival.

Nevsimal said tickets will be available at the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce office, Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union, Coulee Hardware, The Star newspaper, Loepps Furniture, H&H Grocery and the Trading Post at the Colville Indian Agency.

The carnival has added five hours on Sunday, providing four days of carnival entertainment for Colorama fans.

Carnival hours will be from 4-9 on Thursday, May 10; 4-9 on Friday, May 11; 12-9 on Saturday, May 12; and 12-5 on Sunday, Mother’s Day.

This marks the second year for the popular Rainier Amusements, a family-owned carnival out of Portland, Oregon.

“We are happy to have Rainier Amusements back for their second year,” Nevsimal stated Tuesday. The Portland-based carnival company is under contract to return again next year.

Rainier Amusements regularly travels to festival sites in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Tickets go on sale at all seven sites beginning today, Wednesday.

Entertainment, Events, Soon, To Dos

Color run coming to Colorama

It’s just another reason why they call it Colorama!

The 5K Color Run on Saturday, May 12, has a lot of attractions.

First and foremost, it’s going to be a fun, colorful experience and a good brisk walk or run that is good for your health.

It’s starts at 9 a.m., and could get you decorated for the rest of the day. At several places along the 5K run, if you choose to, you could be dusted with a brightly colored material that will make your day a real “Colorama.” Getting sprayed with the colorful material is optional.

The 5K Color Run is all in the North Dam Park area, weaving its way over the dam, around the rocks, back over the dam and then winding its way through the various roads and trail networks below the park.

You don’t have to run or walk along the highway.

But you have to get your entry form in. Do it now to save three bucks. It’s $22 now, but it will be $25 on May 12.

Go to the chamber’s website at grandcouleedam.org/colorrun and get your entry in online, or if you choose, you can drop by the chamber office and do it there.

The 5K Color Run is not a timed run, and there are no awards.

Be part of Colorama.

Oh, and you’ll get a T-shirt.