Manzanar National Historic Site
In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps.
Photo: Dorothea Lange / NPS
About Manzanar National Historic Site
In 1942, the United States government ordered more than 110,000 men, women, and children to leave their homes and detained them in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps where the US government incarcerated Japanese immigrants ineligible for citizenship and Japanese American citizens during World War II.
Pair it with another park
CAdrive time
CAdrive time
CAdrive time
CAdrive time
AZdrive time
CAdrive time
Driving times from Manzanar National Historic Site, one way, via road — a realistic day is 8–10 hours behind the wheel.
Hours
Site Grounds
- Mon
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Tue
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Wed
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Thu
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Fri
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Sat
- Sunrise to Sunset
- Sun
- Sunrise to Sunset
Activities
Getting there
Manzanar is located in the Owens Valley at 4,000' elevation, at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada. We get little precipitation but we do have four distinct seasons. Summer temperatures can soar over 100 degrees. Winter highs are usually in the 40's. Nighttime temperatures year round are 30 to 40 degrees less than daytime highs. High winds are common in any season.
Frequently asked questions
- What is there to do at Manzanar National Historic Site?
- Popular activities include Biking, Birdwatching, Bookstore and Park Store, Bus/Shuttle Guided Tour, Food, Guided Tours.
- Which national parks are within a day's drive of Manzanar National Historic Site?
- Within about a day's drive you can reach Devils Postpile National Monument (2 h 17 min), César E. Chávez National Monument (2 h 51 min), Yosemite National Park (3 h 9 min), Death Valley National Park (3 h 12 min), Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (4 h 9 min), Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (4 h 25 min).