Mount Morris, NY 14510
Mount Morris Dam in Letchworth State Park
The US Army Corps of Engineers built the Mount Morris Dam in Letchworth State Park the late 1940s to reduce flooding on the lower Genesee River. Today, the dam continues to provide flood protection along 67 miles of the Genesee River Valley from the village of Mount Morris to downtown Rochester where the river enters Lake Ontario.
Join the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a ranger-guided walking tour of the Mount Morris Dam to learn how the dam works and the significance of this engineering marvel.
Still an active, working dam, the Visitor Center is open Wednesday – Monday (closed Tuesday), 10am – 4:30pm. Visitors can take a tour of the dam by booking a walking tour here between May to October each year. The tour is free, but there is is a $1 / ticket reservation fee through www.Recreation.gov. You can walk up, but the availability of tickets cannot be guaranteed. A walking tour is ideal for active visitors with an interest in engineering and natural resource management.
The Tour of Mount Morris Dam is ideal for active visitors with an interest in engineering and natural resource management. This popular ranger guided walking tour lasts approximately 1 hour and includes a steep 1 mile trek into the Genesee River Gorge to the top of the Mount Morris Dam. From the top of the dam, there are great photo opportunities and amazing views of the gorge from a unique perspective.
After a short informational talk, the group will take an elevator down 200 feet into the dam, and then walk through a tunnel way (5’ wide x 7’ high) to explore the structure. At the end of the tour, the group will return to the top of the dam by elevator and walk back up the steep pathway to the Visitor Center where they may explore informational exhibits to learn more.
Be prepared for the weather; about half of the walking tour takes place outdoors. This is a walking tour. Wear comfortable shoes. We walk 1 mile round trip on a sloped roadway, which descends/ascends 100 feet in elevation ‘down to’ and ‘up from’ the top of the dam on a 10% grade. The temperature inside the dam will be between 40°F and 50°F year round.
