Monticello Dam (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

In sunny California, in Napa County, there is a strange landscape: you look at the photos and wonder what the catch is. In the middle of Lake Berryessa, surrounded by picturesque wooded hills, a funnel gapes – cubic meters of water, for no reason at all, fall directly into the bowels of the earth, as if a little more, and everything around will be sucked into the abyss. But no, nature has not gone mad, and the funnel is a creation of human hands. Like the lake itself with an area of ​​80 sq. km, the second largest artificial reservoir in the state. But under it is a real flooded city: no one was hurt, but it’s still creepy. See anycountyprivateschools for Maine state information and business schools.

A bit of history

It all started in 1843, when the couple José de Jesus and Sixta Berryessa received land from the governor for the ranch, which they later named “Las Putas” – after the Puta Creek, which still crosses the valley. But soon the couple accumulated a gambling debt and, in order to pay off creditors, sold part of the property. The ranch was snatched up piece by piece by the farmers who founded the town of Monticello: thanks to the idyllic climate, the wheat grew sky-high.

A road was opened through Monticello to the Devil’s Gate in the Napa Valley, oil was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century – in general, the infrastructure developed rapidly. But in winter, Puta Creek overflowed its banks, and a dam was indispensable. First they built a bridge – the largest east of the Rocky Mountains, 91 m long, and half a century later – a grandiose reservoir with several dams and canals. The protests of local residents turned out to be in vain: the vegetation was cut down, the cemetery was moved, and the city itself was completely flooded along with the bridge – too strong, and therefore not subject to demolition.

What to watch

The Monticello Dam became famous thanks to the same funnel, called the “Glory Hole”. This is a cone-shaped concrete pipe 21 m deep with an inlet diameter of 22 m, tapering downwards to 8.5 m. m, completely hidden under the surface and passes up to 1370 cubic meters. m per second.

Swimming next to the funnel is strictly prohibited, but this does not stop some extreme sportsmen. And when the water level drops, roller skaters, skateboarders and cyclists cut through the hydraulic drain.

The dam itself is located about 60 m from the Glory Hole: it is a gigantic structure 93 m high with a crest length of 312 m, the construction of which took almost 250 thousand cubic meters. m of concrete. A hydroelectric power plant is now operating there, providing power and water to the San Francisco Bay area.

Practical Information

Address: Napa, Lake Berryessa, CA 94558, USA. GPS coordinates: 38.5133; 122.1042. Website (in English).

How to get there: by car from Sacramento, Oakland or San Francisco, there is no public transport.

Torrey Pines Nature Reserve

Torrey Pines Nature Reserve (San Diego, USA) – exact location, interesting places, inhabitants, routes.

The Torrey Pines State Nature Reserve is formally within the city limits of San Diego. And at the same time, it remains a corner of truly untouched nature: here is the wildest strip of land (8 sq. Km) on the entire South Coast of California. In total, the area of ​​the park is 2,000 acres of coastal territory, which were declared a National Natural Landmark in 1977.

The landscape of the reserve includes a plateau with cliffs that rise above the Torrey Pines State Beach, as well as a lagoon inhabited by migratory seabirds. Here you can see a variety of representatives of wild flora and fauna, including forest cats, foxes, skunks, raccoons, coyotes and, of course, those very rare Torrey pines. The reserve is pierced by about 15 km of hiking trails, and at the top, on the rocks, there is a small museum, a hotel and a tourist station.

Here you can see a variety of representatives of wild flora and fauna, including forest cats, foxes, skunks, raccoons, coyotes and, of course, those very rare Torrey pines.

From the cliffs of Torrey Pines, from where many people prefer to immediately go down to the beach, La Jolla in the south and Del Mar in the north are wonderfully visible. And during the seasonal migration of whales, you can also see them.

The rarest species of Torrey pine in the United States grows only in San Diego County and on one of the Channel Islands. These pine trees can only be seen on the seashore and are currently under threat of destruction. It was in honor of this tree that the singer Tori Amos chose her pseudonym.

At the south end of Torrey Pines Beach is a large rock that juts out into the ocean. It is casually called “Flat Rock”. South of this rock is San Diego’s unofficial nude beach, Blacks Beach.

You can only stay in the park during the day: there are no camping opportunities here. But it is allowed to have picnics – however, only on the beach. In addition, you need to take into account that there will be nowhere to buy food or water in the park.

Practical Information

Address: North Torrey Pines Road.

Access to the reserve is via Highway 5: take Carmel Valley Road and drive west for about 2.5 km until you reach Coastal Highway 101. Turn left and follow the beach for about 1.5 km. The park is located between the Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course (to the south) and the city of Del Mar (to the north). The entrance to it will appear on the right hand, before the highway begins to climb uphill.

Parking fee on the South Beach – from 15 USD, on the North – from 10 USD.