Prisoner of War Camps

Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, led the U.S. into World War II and radically changed the lives of men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry living in the U.S. Forced to leave their homes, Japanese American citizens and resident aliens were incarcerated in 10 war relocation centers in remote locations throughout the country. One of these, Tule Lake in California, was the longest occupied and most repressive of all the government's centers.

What began as a burial ground for POWs who died during the Civil War continues to operate today. Andersonville is the only National Park Service national cemetery still open for new burials of eligible veterans. Over 20,000 military men and women, including veterans of Vietnam, WWII, Korea, the Civil War, and other conflicts, rest in honor in these hallowed grounds.

The Camp was first built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935, but later housed Japanese Americans in 1943 then German Prisoners of War from 1944 - 1946. It is located on Hill Road approximately two miles north of the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Visitors may only enter the grounds as part of a ranger guided program. You are welcome to take pictures of the buildings and view the road side exhibits from outside the fence.

The Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds Museum of local history displays a variety of exhibits which include Modoc history, agricultural history, homesteading and settlement of the Tulelake Basin area, the history of Japanese American incarceration at the nearby segregation center, and a variety of other topics.

The Peninsula/Castle Rock was within the boundary of the historic Tule Lake Segregation Center. Originally an island in Tule Lake, it contains an 800-foot bluff called Castle Rock. Atop Castle Rock is a replica of the cross that was placed there by Nikkei incarcerated at Tule Lake before it became a segregation center. The Peninsula is managed primarily for raptor and wildlife habitat. It is closed to public access.