WWII Japanese Internment Camp Sites

WWII Japanese Internment Camp Sites

Between 1942 and 1945, approximately 117,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated and incarcerated in 10 camps scattered throughout the western United States.

This was an important episode in American history and one that should not be overlooked or forgotten. So my husband and I visited all 10 of the camps—or what remains of them today.

We unknowingly started the quest in 2016, when my now-husband and I wanted to get out and my husband had found a weird looking area that had a monument on the Google satellite map south of Phoenix. So we decided to check it out. When we arrived, we saw some people from the local Tribe, who told us the story of the area and showed us around the remains of the camp. Fascinating listening to them and looking around and our quest was born.

The history of these camps is fascinating and here’s a mini-guide for adopting this quest for yourself.

COMPLETED!

I completed this quest in 2022 at Tule Lake

  1. Manzanar

  2. Gila River

  3. Poston

  4. Minidoka

  5. Granada (Amache)

  6. Rohwer

  7. Jerome

  8. Heart Mountain

  9. Topaz

  10. Tule Lake

A bonus site was the Washington D.C. based Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II

A few tips we later learned about the Arizona sites:

  • Both Poston and Gila River camps in Arizona are located on tribal reservations, which restricts public visitation.

  • You can view many of the associated camp remains from Poston from publicly accessible roadways, and there is a memorial located at 26600 Mohave Road in Parker.

  • You acquire a permit for visiting the Gila River sites (Butte Camp and Canal Camp) from the Gila River Indian Community.

  • The Arizona Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League hosts an event at both Poston and Gila River each year, which provides an excellent way to visit those two sites.