Visitors to the Hungry Horse Dam will have to skip the visitor center this summer, which is closed for the season. The top of the dam is still open to pedestrian and vehicle traffic, and new interpretive panels have been added around the dam to ensure the public still has access to information about the facility and its history, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Reclamation said.
The summer closure is to “support operation priorities,” the spokesperson said in an email to the Beacon. The visitor center normally hosts guided walking tours during the summer but hasn’t reopened since it closed at the end of last summer.
The Bureau of Reclamation oversees operation of the 564-foot tall dam, which sits on the South Fork of the Flathead River and helps manage flood control for Flathead County.
“We will continue to evaluate operational needs and will provide updates on our website when new information is available,” the spokesperson said. “We appreciate the public’s understanding and look forward to welcoming visitors back to the center in the future.”
The bureau spokesperson encouraged visitors to continue visiting and walking across the dam to take in the views of one of the largest concrete arch dams in the U.S. and the surrounding landscape.
Public restrooms will remain open and are being regularly cleaned for visitors.
