I came out here on a field trip with a class I'm taking this summer. It's 95 degrees, windy and…read morearid. Even as a visitor, I find these conditions to be uncomfortable, so I could not imagine being forced to live out here in subhuman conditions for an indefinite period of time. However, that is what over 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese Nationals living in the USA were forced to do during WWII - and 10,000 men, women, children and babies were forced to do just that at Manzanar. The Visitors Center is only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday & Monday - so we were not able to see it, but we were able to eat our lunches in the Mess Hall. I also explored the barracks, and saw the rest of this historic site by bus and on foot. Don't miss seeing Merritt Park, the Children's Village area, and the Issei Obelisk. This site is a powerful reminder that History repeats itself, and visiting Manzanar is an extremely moving and meaningful experience for everyone. Peace.

I have driven past the turnoff for Manzanar over a dozen times. I have known about it since I was…read morein middle school but never went. My sister and I have been taking my nephew to significant sites of WW11 over the years starting with Pearl Harbor and Auschwitz. Being part Japanese, we felt this was an important stop. The grounds are very well maintained. The educational aspect of it is great. The rangers have taken great care to show an accurate representation of what "camp" life was like. The recreated rooms, shacks and monuments have been meticulously built. The rangers were great about sharing knowledge. The book store has some great books that are not available on Amazon. The parking is a breeze. The entrance is free. When entrance is free to somewhere like this I like to support by donating or buying items that help support the cause. I bought my nephew and I each a book and a couple other little things. I also really like that they participate in the Junior Ranger Program. It was a great way for not just my nephew but myself to learn too. It was a great family activity. I highly recommend visiting. It can be a little emotionally draining but it is an important part of American History that we cannot forget.

An incredible place with quality artifacts from the early 1900' and earlier. You get a real feel of…read morehow people lived, dressed, worked... Jay was a wealth of knowledge and so kind in explaining how the gold mining was done. A great place to spend a couple of hours. So happy we could bring our dog too.

We always meant to stop here one day and we finally did! It is much more extensive and interesting…read morethan I thought it would be. A large collection of historical buildings and replicas. Old trains, including one inside that is being restored by volunteers. Another group of volunteers built a mining exhibit. A wonderful gentleman named Jay gave us a tour and showed us how old mining equipment worked. It was fascinating to hear how things work and how his group built everything. Amazing. Best not to go in the heat of summer however! The museum asks for donations only - just $10, well worth it!!

Must added to the list for hiking / beach/ kayak spot…read more No need a big jeep or any special vehicle. You will be fine as it's easy to get down to these stone pillars with 2 mi hike. Very easy flat step - straight road. Actually there's one big deep hold up hill at the beginning and one slightly slippery downhill to the lake. General, worth the hike and time to visit the unique nature made sandstone pillars. A beautiful place with peaceful quiet lake. You can hang around right at the lake or do kayak Tips: - When you are inside - under these columns, never look up. There is always some sand falling from top. - No restroom / trash bin / info center. Make sure bring water and essential items. - Plan to arrive early so you can come back around before noon. And use a lot of sunscreen in summer. No shade at all. Like walk in the middle of dessert! - Parking spots are marked correctly in google map. No actually parking signs. You just find your own the spot closest to the first hill and leave the car there at your own risk for 1hr at least. - follow google map. There's some crosspath and no signage!

From the 395, there's a nice dirt road to Crowley Lake but you can only go so far with a regular…read morecar. A 4x4 off road vehicle is needed to access the stone columns for the last mile or two. There's a hill with really bad ruts. Another way to access the columns is to kayak to them. We saw a kayaker who parked his car at another beach off the lake and kayaked over. There is a steep sandy trail down to the beach where the columns are. The water was high when we were there so fortunately we couldn't access the larger columns that day. It's definitely worth the visit when the water level in the lake is low to see these unique stone columns.

Fantastic geology, a mine that's big enough you can drive your vehicle into and a great view of the…read moreOwens Valley. Note you will need four-wheel-drive and high clearance for a couple of sections that are maybe 20 or 30 yards total. Most of the drive is very doable. And you can always drive a regular vehicle to the base of the mine road and then walk about 200 yards to the opening. There's also a foot path that goes down the sidewall of the canyon to a smaller mine as well.

Pretty cool experience. Go early in the morning to breathe in less fumes from cars going in and out.read more

Beautiful stop. I've never been able to go inside, as it's always been closed when I've come by,…read morebut the grounds are well worth the stop on their own. Bring quarters to feed the fish :)

Unfortunately the fish hatchery was closed when we visited on Wednesday. But it was a fun stop for…read morea short walk around the pond & building. What made it worthwhile even though the information center was closed was the 25¢ fish pellet dispenser. Fortunately I had several quarters & polarized sunglasses/camera filter. I was able to feed the large trout in the pond & see them pretty clearly. The three ducks also competed for the pellet food but were no match for the swarming fish. The exterior of the building is beautiful & unlike any US fish hatchery I've ever seen. In college, I worked at our college fish hatchery so I can appreciate the unusual layout of this interesting place.

Buck Rock Lookout is a Really, Really, cool fire lookout. It was built in 1923 and has the first…read morelive in fire lookout. It's called a "4-A" style cab because it's 14 ft x 14 ft small live in fire lookout surrounded all around by windows. The stairways was built in 1942. It's open to the public from 9:30a-6p. The person in the cab is on duty and you can talk to him/her. From the Sequoia National Forest website: "Buck Rock Lookout sits perched atop a granite dome and offers a breathtaking view of the Great Western Divide and other spectacular high mountain peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Access to the top is via a series of stair flights (consisting of 172 steps) suspended from the side of the rock." Pit toilet is available off on the Left before the stairs and the person on duty has to do those stairs everytime he/she needs to go! The stairs are fun, 172 steps, hold on to the handrails on both sides! It can be closed due to fires, lightening, etc. Worth going if ever in the area. One of my pics above. website: www.buckrock.org http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/lookouts/lookouts.html

If you know , you know. Cool place to check out , and the view is great. Stop by if your in the…read morearea.

Great views of both the Minaret Vista and Mammoth Mountain on the other side. No hike required;…read moreparking's right there at the lookout point. We went at sunset two days in a row as it was just down the street from our hotel. On both days the parking lot was filled to capacity and a lot of people were there. It's freezing due to the high elevation, so bring a jacket.

We came here early in the morning. Nobody was here yet so we were able to enjoy the sights in…read morepeace. There was snow on tree logs, benches, and the trash bins. It is a very nice spot to take in the views.

Great scenery. It gets Cold and Windy in Winter time. I've…read moreheard it's the same in summer time, too. Definitely recommend.

The Alabama Hills area serves as a steady transition from Lone Pine civilization to Whitney…read morewilderness. + Quiet, peaceful scenic area. Pleasant nature ambience. - Minimal shade, water, and restrooms. Dry climate. - Barely anyone around to ask for help or directions. . Tip: I recommend stopping by Nightmare Rock and Mobius Loop trail to see the photogenic Mobius Arch circumscribing Mt Whitney next time you're cruising through Alabama Hills. . Fun fact: many old western movies were filmed among these hills, including Django Unchained.

What a great experience at Devil's Postpile NP. Easy 1/2 mile hike with some climbing, steep…read moreportions of trail. What an incredible experience. Steep climb to top but worth it. Ample parking in dirt lots. Cool info signage about the area. Seeing this phenomenon was amazing. Two miles further to Rainbow Falls. Devil's Postpile is closed 10/6-10/11, major road work repairs.

We came here in July and really enjoyed this monument. It is so interesting with all the columnar…read morebasalt. The columns tower over 60 feet and these columns were formed approximately 100,000 years ago from a volcanic lava flow that cooled. The lava flow cracked into these multi sided columns. When you stand on a column you will see it forms a perfect octagon. WOW! Nature is so incredible. To get here, we took the shuttle from the main Mammoth Lakes Lodge. It was an easy ride down here and back. Parking is available at the lodge. The only vehicles that were allowed on the road besides the shuttles were for campers who had reservations and sites. Take your time when you are here to really study these structures. I highly recommend when visiting Mammoth Lakes.

Mammoth Mountain Scenic Gondola was one of the highlights of our Mammoth trip! We decided to get…read moreon the gondola towards the end of our adventure and turns out we made the right choice! The Gondola takes you up to McCoy where you can get off and enjoy an intermediate course or stay on and head up to the top of Mammoth Mountain! We started off thinking we were going to just enjoy the cafe up there and the views and then some of us would head back down the gondola. Turns out, my boys decided to take the chance and ride down the top of the mountain with me while my wife headed down on the gondola and met us at the bottom after getting some gifts from the gift shop. The way down is a little frightening if I am to be honest but I am a strong believer in the adage, where there is a will there is a way! My boys coming down with me was a wonderful life lesson and a truly exhilarating and exciting adventure! I highly recommend taking the gondola to the top! 5 stars for sure and 2 thumbs up!!

The views from the top are amazing (on a clear day). Whether skiing/snowboarding and heading to…read morethe top, or just here to enjoy the scenery and surroundings, it's more than worth a visit. Personally a clear day after a storm is the best! The gondola ride up is quick and enjoyable. On busy days, they will fill the cabin, so be ready for a tight squeeze. It's almost ski/boarding season!