Most People Don’t Know These 5 Things Are Hiding At Arizona’s Hoover Dam

One of my favorite secrets about the dam is this pillbox, an armed guard post established on a ledge near the Hoover Dam shortly after Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. The outpost was constructed of concrete but camouflaged with local rocks and was active for approximately one year in anticipation of a mainland attack from Japanese or German forces. The former guard post is visible from the Hoover Dam Lookout and parking areas, so scan the area a little more carefully the next time you visit.

It’s always interesting to find out how animals played a role in historical events, whether they played an active role or just tagged along to eventually be adopted by a soldier. One such case is a scruffy black puppy who considered the dam home. He patrolled the dam and kept workers company for several years until he was accidentally run over by a truck at the dam in 1941.

The Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge that spans the Colorado River and is actually the widest concrete arch on this side of the world. It sits 900 feet over the rushing river waters, making it the second highest bridge in the country and one windy walk when you cross it on foot.

Construction crews were required to utilize some of the debris from building the dam and it’s actually hiding in plain sight. The dirt that sits under the two-lane road and hairpin turns is composed of this debris.

Depending on the perspective you’re looking from, it can be difficult to see the unique sloping of the dam as it curves and hugs the canyon walls. This curvature not only helps to keep the reservoir behind it contained but it also causes a strong updraft so that air flows vertically, causing water or loose trash to seem to shoot straight up in the air. We don’t recommend trying this experiment for yourself, instead watch a short video about the phenomenon in one of our previous articles.