Fort Peck, MT - Jun 2007

Our stop at Fort Peck Lake was just meant to be a couple day layover to take a rest, but it turned out to be a very nice campground and also an interesting area. This is the dam across Fort Peck Lake in Montana. It is the 5th largest reservoir in the U.S. and the largest earthen dam (no concrete used in the construction of the dam wall) in the world. It dams the Missouri River and the resultant lake is over 120 miles long. The earthen dam is over 5 miles long (the white stretch of earth on the right side in this photo.) We got to drive over it and it seemed to go on forever and ever. On the right most edge of this photo you can see three towers -- those are the hydro-electric power generators and they were huge -- probably 5 stories high. They look dwarfed next to the dam.

We stayed at the Downstream Campground. It was built on the outer side of the dam and was adjacent to the cooling lake near the power generation towers. This Army Corps of Engineers park was very nice -- roomy sites with plenty of green grass and shade trees. There were lots of paved walking trails throughout the large park. The only downside was the abundance of mosquitoes -- so many that we had to douse ourselves with industrial strength deet whenever we went outside.

Next to the dam and within walking distance of the campground was the Fort Peck Museum and Interpretive Center. It had an interesting blend of historical exhibits (including dinosaur bones unearthed during the dam construction) as well as current information about the operation of the dam and the local flora and fauna. This large glass wall looked out to the cooling pond area as well as the campground in the distance. The cooling pond was large enough for boating.

There were several aquariums that showcased the fish that inhabited the lake. The fish in this see-through aquarium caught my eye as he was just hovering at the glass watching all who came through the museum's entry doors. He must have been the official greeter.