CENTRAL BRITISH COLUMBIA - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 519

erations. These generating stations are each capable of producing 1,800 megawatts of elec-
tricity—or, combined, 30 percent of the province's needs.
Revelstoke Dam, eight kilometers (five miles) north of the city on Highway 23, was
completed in 1985. It's 470 meters (1,540 feet) wide and 175 meters (590 feet) high. The
massive reservoir behind the dam stretches over 130 kilometers (81 miles). Nestled in the
valley downstream of the dam is the generating station. Exhibits at the two-story Revel-
stoke Dam Visitor Centre (250/814-6697, 10am-5pm daily late May-mid-Oct., adult $6,
senior and child $5), above the generating station, explain the valley's history and the oper-
ation and impact of the dams. From the center, a high-speed elevator whisks visitors to the
top of the dam for an excellent view.
Upstream of Revelstoke Dam is Mica Dam, 140 kilometers (87 miles) via Highway 23
to the north. This dam is much larger—in fact, it's North America's highest earth-filled dam
(240 meters/790 feet), stretching 792 meters (2,600 feet) at the crest across the Columbia
River Valley. It backs up 200-kilometer-long (124-mile-long) Kinbasket Lake, extending
north to Valemount and south to a point just north of Golden.
MOUNT REVELSTOKE NATIONAL PARK
Visitors to this 26,000-hectare (64,250-acre) national park on the northern outskirts of
Revelstoke can experience a high-alpine environment from the enticingly named Meadows
in the Sky Parkway, without any strenuous hiking.
The park protects the highest peaks of the Clachnacudiann Range, a northern arm of
the Selkirk Mountains. The forested slopes of the range come to an icy apex around the
Clachnacudiann Glacier and surrounding peaks, such as Mount Coursier and Mount In-
verness, both 2,637 meters (8,650 feet) high. The park's diverse vegetation includes forests
of ancient cedar along the Illecillewaet River, subalpine forests of Engelmann spruce and
fir on higher slopes, and finally, above the tree line, meadows of low-growing shrubs that
come alive with color for a few weeks in midsummer.
As with all Canadian national parks, a permit is required for entry; in this case it applies
only for travel on the Meadows in the Sky Parkway. Permits are issued at the park gate, at
the lower end of the parkway. A one-day permit is adult $8, senior $7, child $4, to a max-
imum of $20 per vehicle.
MM Meadows in the Sky Parkway
This 26-kilometer (16-mile) road one kilometer (0.6 mile) west of the downtown Revels-
toke turnoff climbs from the Trans-Canada Highway to a magnificent alpine meadow high