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Manzanar National Historic Site, Independence, CA

Photo: Ansel Adams, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFree

Manzanar National Historic Site

5001 Highway 395 · Independence, CA

Why you should go…

Manzanar, in the Owens Valley between Lone Pine and Independence, was one of ten camps where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. It held 10,046 people at its peak. Start at the visitor center in the former high school auditorium, then walk through the replica buildings and exhibits of Block 14 to learn about daily life. A self-guided auto tour road, which you can also bike, leads to the cemetery monument that camp stonemasons built in 1943.

  • #national historic site
  • #world war ii history
  • #japanese american history
  • #owens valley
  • #auto tour

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Manzanar National Historic Site, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Alabama Hills

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    8.1 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Mount Whitney

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    Hike 22 miles round trip from Whitney Portal to the highest summit in the contiguous United States, with a permit.

    13 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Kings Canyon National Park

    $25–$50

    See giant sequoias at Grant Grove, then drive Highway 180 down into a glacier-carved canyon more than a mile deep.

    29 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    General Sherman Tree

    $25–$50

    Walk a paved half-mile trail through Giant Forest to stand at the base of the largest tree on Earth by volume.

    35 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Sequoia National Park

    $25–$50

    Walk among giant sequoias, stand at the base of the General Sherman Tree and climb the stairway up Moro Rock.

    36 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Bishop

    Free

    Eastern Sierra gateway town near Mammoth Lakes with access to hiking, fishing and Bishop Creek Canyon.

    46 mi awayMore like this