Libby Dam

 
Libby Dam is a great first stopping point in Tobacco Country. Located 50 miles south of Eureka on Highway 37, it is a 420-foot-high dam that formed Lake Koocanusa in the early 1970s. It spans two-thirds of a mile across a canyon cut by the Kootenai River. Dam construction began in March of 1967, and the dam was dedicated in August of 1975.

Lake Koocanusa stretches 90 miles north into British Columbia.

The visitor center is open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Memorial Day weekend. The boat ramp, Souse Gulch Day Use Area and Treaty Tower will also be open seven days a week.

The visitor center includes displays on the history of the Kootenai Valley, and natural resources management and hydropower production.

The visitor center is located on the west side of the dam and can be accessed from the Forest Development Road (FDR) 228. It can no longer be reached via the road across the dam, which was closed after Sept. 11 and will remain closed until further notice.

Guided tours of the dam and the powerhouse are offered from the visitor center four times a day — at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and at 4 p.m. daily. Tours last an hour to an hour and one half and include a security briefing at the start of the tour. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early for the tours.

Tours may not be available on certain days very early or late in the season.

Anyone over age16 needs a photo ID — a driver's license or passport will do. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
For more specific info, call 293-5577.