Location - follow signs to Southeast Botanical Garden (turn off the 329) and make the right at the big Southeast Botanical Garden sign but keep going on that road until it hits the dam, conveniently located by a landfill. Ample parking.
There is a nice bit of parkland around the dam, complete with a mini-waterfall wading pool for the kiddos, a rocky stream leading to the reservoir, and lots of picnic and kite-flying grassy areas. From the 5th floor of the observation deck you can see the Kadena flightline and the ocean. The museum has a very strange fake cave room and a diorama describing how the US army pushed the villagers out of this area allowing for creation of the dam. In front of the museum kids practice rollerblading and bicycling. Around the wall of the dam there is a pond where kids try to catch critters, and a walkway over the water to an observation platform. There are about 10 different signs of cartoon dogs doing cartoon poo, warning you to clean up after your pet. There are another 5 signs showing evil cartoon habu snakes, and a smattering of signs instructing you to take you litter with you. So, it's not really communing with nature, but admittedly there is no trash or dog poo.
