Folsom Dam is a huge 340 foot tall dam in Folsom, California. For some dam perspective, that's about half as tall as Hoover Dam.
The main structure is about 1400 feet wide, but it has flanks and walls that extend out for about nine miles. The North and South Forks of the American River converge upstream of the dam, creating the reservoir known as Folsom Lake.
There are five full spillways and three shorter spillways on the main dam structure, although I don't think I've ever seen any of the smaller spillways used. The most likely time to see any of the spillways open is just before or after a heavy storm in late winter or early spring.
In 2017, a new, 3,000 foot long auxiliary spillway was opened adjacent to the original dam structure. This took several years to construct, and significantly improved flood control downstream of the dam.
It's easy to see Folsom Dam from the nearby road, Folsom Lake Crossing, but it's hard to get a great view while driving. The best way to really see the dam is from the American River Bike Trail, which has a pedestrian crossing to the businesses on the corner of Folsom Blvd and Folsom Lake Crossing.
One way to see the dam without having to hike or cycle very far is to grab some coffee (or hot chocolate) at nearby Folsom Grind, and cross the street to the bike trail from there. The walk to the first viewpoint is less than half a mile away.
The auxiliary spillway is practically impossible to see while driving, but the view from the bike trail is spectacular. The whole 3000 foot long concrete spillway runs parallel to the trail.
There is actually a road on top of Folsom Dam (Folsom Dam Road), and it used to be possible to drive across it. Back when I was in high school, I remember driving over it with my mom and sister all the time. The road is so narrow, and it feels like it's a mile high in the air.
Following 9/11, the dam road was closed due to security concerns, and the nearby Folsom Lake Crossing was built to replace it.
Folsom Lake Crossing feels a lot safer to drive across, in my opinion, because it is so much wider, and lower. I love the dedicated bike lanes, and use them very frequently. The ride across is tough, but is only about 2 miles each way.
Still, I wonder what it would be like to ride my bike across Folsom Dam Road. Would it be terrifying, or amazing? It would be so cool if the city would open the dam road up a few days per year so that people could do that again.
Anyway, the best thing about Folsom Dam is that it keeps Folsom and Sacramento from being completely flooded every year. According to the Parks and Rec website, the dam has prevented many billions of dollars in flood damages. read more