Description - Manzanar War Relocation Center was one of ten camps at which Japanese American citizens and resident Japanese aliens were interned during World War II. Located at the foot of the imposing Sierra Nevada in eastern California's Owens Valley, Manzanar has been identified as the best preserved of these camps.

Attractions - Manzanar is an undeveloped site of about 800 acres. The park is accessible by a 3.2- mile self-guided auto tour. A tour description and map are available at the camp entrance. Driving the 3.2 mile tour road will take you past the sentry posts, camp auditorium, ruins of the administrative complex, concrete foundations of many types, portions of the water systems, and the camp cemetery. All wooden structures were removed after the end of World War Two.

A walking tour of the Manzanar Camp 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.

Recreation - Manzanar is open all year during daylight hours. Guided tours are available during summer and fall months. School and group tours are available by reservation year-round.

The primary activities within the park include viewing historic sites, auto touring, nature walks and bird watching.

Climate - Manzanar is located in the Owens Valley 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 winter days.

Location - Manzanar is located just off of U.S. Highway 395, 12 miles north of Lone Pine, California. It is 5 miles south of Independence, California.

LAT: 36.7263211
LONG: -118.1537035