From Lake Oroville Visitors Center’s 47-foot viewing tower, visitors can see the lake, the new Bidwell Bar Bridge, and the Sutter Buttes, one of the nation’s smallest complete mountain ranges. In its theater, view videos on Oroville construction, the State Water Project, and other water topics. Outside, take a stroll along nearby nature trails.

The Lake Oroville Visitors Center is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. It is located at 917 Kelly Ridge Road. For more information, call (530) 538-2219. Free admission.

Also visit DWR’s Lake Oroville web site at www.lakeoroville.water.ca.gov. For TTY phone service, call (916) 653-6226.

Inside are exhibits showing how Oroville Dam, the nation’s tallest, was constructed from more than 80 million cubic yards of materials and how a pumpback operation is used to generate power via the lake’s three power plants. Among them is Hyatt Powerplant, excavated out of the bedrock beneath the lake.

The Center is staffed by DWR guides and Parks and Recreation docents. Exhibits by the California Department of Parks and Recreation display the rich historical heritage of the region when Oroville was a bustling Gold Rush town. Others depict the culture of the local Native American tribes and tell the story of Ishi, the sole survivor of his tribe. Nature displays show the kinds of wildlife that inhabit the forested areas around the lake.