Manzanar
National Historic Site
Manzanar
National Historic Site
| Confinement and Ethnicity: An Overview of World War II Japanese American Relocation Sites |
| Manzanar Historical Overview |
| Manzanar Courier #3 - Summer 2000 Newsletter |
| Location: | Independence, CA |  | ||
| Address: | Manzanar National Historic Site P.O. Box 426 Independence, CA 93526-0426 | |||
| Telephone: | (760) 878-2932 Voice (760) 878-2949 FAX | |||
| Operating Hours, Seasons: | Daylight hours: open all year. | |||
| Climate, Recommended Clothing: | Manzanar is located at 4,000 feet elevation at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada. Summers are warm and sunny with periods of cool and windy weather. Winters are cold with moderate snowfall and brisk sunny days. Comfortable sports wear is appropriate in summer, but warm clothing should be carried in winter. Strong winds and blowing dust may occur anytime during the year. Sturdy walking shoes are advised. | |||
| Directions: | Manzanar is located just off of U.S. Highway 395, 10 miles north of Lone Pine, California. It is 5 miles south of Independence, California. | |||
| Transportation: | Located on California Highway 395, Manzanar is readily accessible by private automobile, van, or tour bus. There is a three mile long self-guided auto tour of the camp and a tour description/map is available at the camp entrance. | |||
| Fees, Costs, Rates: | There are no entrance fees at Manzanar. | |||
| Facilities and Opportunities: |
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| Visitor Center/Exhibits: | At this time, there is no visitor center or exhibits available at the Manzanar site. The Eastern California Museum in Independence has exhibits and specimens dealing with the history of Manzanar. | |||
| Facilities: | At this time, there are no rest rooms, picnic areas, or campgrounds at Manzanar. | |||
| Trails, Roads: | California Highway 395 provides access to the site. Although there are no trails at this time, it is possible to walk the former streets and orchards of the historic camp and farming community of Manzanar. | |||
| Programs/Activities: | ||||
| Tours of Manzanar: | Guided tours of the site are available during the spring and summer months. | |||
| There is a three mile long self-guided auto tour of the camp. A tour description and tour map is available at the camp entrance. | ||||
| Lodging and camping facilities: | The towns of Lone Pine, Independence, Olancha, Big Pine, and Bishop provide many lodging options. During the summer, the nearby National Forest campgrounds and Inyo County parks provide numerous campground facilities. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power does not permit overnight camping on its properties. No camping is available at Manzanar National Historic Site. | |||
| Food/supplies: | The nearby towns of Lone Pine and Independence have visitor services, including grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and most camping and hiking supplies. | |||
| Recommended Activities/Park Use: | Manzanar is an undeveloped site of about 800 acres. The self-guided walk includes the pagoda-like police post and sentry post, camp auditorium, ruins of the administrative complex, concrete foundations of many types, portions of the water systems, and the camp cemetery. | |||
| Reservations/Permits: | At this time, no reservations are required. | |||
| Basic Visit Recommendations: | The walking tour of the Manzanar Camp and associated ruins takes one to two hours. A self-guided tour booklet is available at the Interagency Visitor Center in Lone Pine, and at the Eastern California Museum in Independence. | |||
| Special Events, Programs: |
The Manzanar Pilgrimage, takes place the last Saturday of April every year and commemorates the closing of the camps. For more information, contact the Manzanar Committee at (323) 662-5102. | |||
| Visitor Impacts: | Information on weather, travel, road closures, and other situations impacting the visitor, is available at the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center in Lone Pine (760) 876-6222 or at Manzanar Headquarters (760) 878-2932. | |||
| Adjacent Visitor Attractions: |
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| Eastern California Museum: | Located five miles north of Manzanar in Independence, California; the museum contains a significant collection of photos, drawings, paintings, and artifacts associated with Manzanar. The Museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and is closed Tuesdays and Holidays. For more information on the Eastern California Museum call (760) 878-0258 or write to them at P.O. Box 206, Independence, California 93526. | |||
| Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center: | Located 13 miles south of Manzanar, the Interagency Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:50 p.m. The Center provides information on road conditions, campground availability, weather conditions, and the status of area federal and state facilities. The Manzanar souvenir passport stamp is also located at the Interagency Center. For more information, call (760) 876-6222 or write to them at Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center, Junction of Hwys 395 & 136, Lone Pine, California 93545. | |||
| Death Valley National Park: | The largest National Park in the contiguous United States, Death Valley National Park is home to spectacular desert scenery, wildlife, complex geology, vast stretches of wilderness, and sites of western cultural and historical significance. (760) 786-2331 | |||
| Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park: | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are home to the largest living things on Earth, the giant sequoia, and the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. | |||
| Additional Information: | Write the Manzanar National Historic Site, P.O. Box 426, Independence, CA 93526-0426 | |||
