Manzanar
National Historic Site
| Location: | Independence, CA | |||
| Address: | Manzanar National Historic Site P.O. Box 426 Independence, CA 93526-0426 | |||
| Telephone: | (760) 878-2932 Voice (There are no regular office hours, and this phone is answered only on an intermittent basis.) (760) 878-2949 FAX | |||
| Operating Hours, Seasons: | Daylight hours: open all year. | |||
| Climate, Recommended Clothing: | Owens Valley is 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. Comfortable sports wear is appropriate in summer, but warm winter clothing should be carried in winter. Strong winds and blowing dust can occur anytime during the year. Sturdy walking shoes are advised. | |||
| Directions: | Manzanar is located just off of U.S. Highway 395, 12 miles north of Lone Pine, California. It is five miles south of Independence, California. | |||
| Transportation: | Located on California Highway 395, Manzanar is readily accessible by private automobile, van, or tour bus, but a four- wheel drive vehicle is advised for all roads inside the camp. | |||
| 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: | Summer tours have started at Manzanar. Tours are provided by the Eastern California Museum staff on Wednesday through Saturday at 8:30 am and 11:00 am and on Sunday at 8:30 am only. These are walking tours so bring a hat, good shoes, and water. Meet at the sentry post at the entrance to the camp. No tours on July 4th. Also the Eastern California Museum is now OPEN from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Wednesday through Monday. It is closed on Tuesday. | |||
| 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, which owns all of the lands comprising the Park,
does not permit overnight camping or use at the 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 can include 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, which takes place the last Saturday of April every year, commemorates the closing of the camps. | |||
| 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. | |||
| Death Valley National Park: | The largest National Park in the contiguous United States, Death Valley is home to spectacular desert scenery, desert 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 are the homes of the largest living things on Earth, the giant sequoia, and the highest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney. | |||
| Additional Information: | Call the temporary Manzanar Headquarters at (760) 878-2932. There are no regular office hours, and this phone is answered only intermittently. | |||