Nimitz Hill

A Hill That Helped Run the Pacific War

The story of Nimitz Hill begins with a decision made in the closing months of World War II. In December 1944, after the island had been liberated from Japanese occupation, Admiral Nimitz inspected Guam and selected this plateau for an advanced command post, closer to the fighting than his familiar headquarters at Pearl Harbor. By late January 1945 his command had begun the move, and a new headquarters and quarters were quickly built "on a high plateau soon to be forever called Nimitz Hill."↗↗

Nimitz described his quarters—a white cottage opening onto a long screened porch at the edge of a cliff overlooking the harbor—and wrote that the view "both from the H.Q. administrative [buildings]—and from the Quarters—is superb. We are almost 850 feet above sea level and the air is cool and pleasant." Away from the war room, he played on a new horseshoe court, practiced marksmanship with his staff, and led long hikes, scattering tree seeds along the trails as part of a determined effort to reforest a landscape scarred by pre-invasion bombardment.↗

The hill briefly housed his command at the Fonte Plateau, the site of a former Japanese naval communications center. After the war the high ground remained in military hands; today Joint Region Marianas and NAVFAC buildings sit near the crest, the Annex provides housing for senior U.S. officers and families, and the hill also carries somber modern memory—the community of Nimitz Hill Annex was the closest neighborhood to the site where Korean Air Flight 801 went down in August 1997.

War in the Pacific: Memorials and Former HQ Grounds

The most rewarding stop near the hilltop is the Asan Bay Overlook, part of the park's Asan Inland Unit and reached through Nimitz Hill Annex. Dedicated for the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Guam in 1994, the overlook pairs landscaped walkways and a viewing platform with an aerial perspective of the very beaches where U.S. Marines came ashore on 21 July 1944. Bronze relief sculptures by artist Eugene Daub depict the island's passage through attack, occupation, and liberation.↗↗

At its heart is the Memorial Wall of Names, inscribed with the 1,880 U.S. servicemen who died fighting for Guam, the 1,170 people of Guam who lost their lives, and the 14,721 who suffered atrocities during the war—civilians and soldiers remembered together. A separate plaque forms the Sons of Guam Pearl Harbor Memorial, honoring twelve CHamoru sailors killed aboard U.S. battleships on 7 December 1941.↗

Lower on the hill, the Fonte Plateau Unit of the same park preserves the Japanese-era communications center where Nimitz first lodged his command in 1945. Concrete walls and steel gates mark the old bunkers, though the entrances are typically kept locked, so visiting here is more about atmosphere and signage than hands-on exploration.

Dam, Rivers, and Jungle Waterfalls

For a gentler outing, the NRHP-listed Fonte River Dam hides in the ravines to the southeast. Reached by a short, easy hike—often from near the Joint Region Marianas grounds—the brick dam, built in 1910 and long out of service, has become one of the island's favorite freshwater swim spots. Hikers rate it a quick family walk, with a hill just east of the dam offering a fine overlook; insect repellent and water are well advised, and the red earth gets slippery after rain.↗↗

Beyond the residential heart of the hill, the foothills around nearby Mount Alutom lead to a pair of waterfalls on the Sigua River—Alutom Falls, a small cascade with a swimable pool, and the more impressive Upper Sigua Falls a short way downstream. The trail climbs to a rock ledge nicknamed "the runway" for its panoramic views before dropping into the valley; it is a real adventure rather than a strolling path.↗

The route to these falls runs through a quiet private residential area and across land shared with off-roaders and legal target shooting, so visitors are asked to keep the peace, respect property, and proceed with caution. Hikers wanting more can also find trailheads toward San Carlos Falls and spots labeled as WWII-era caves tucked in the same karst hills.

Views Across the Harbor

The reason to climb the hill, in the end, is the prospect from its rim—the cool, breezy, cliff-edge setting that so impressed Nimitz himself. From the overlooks you can read the whole maritime story of the area: the curve of Apra Harbor below, the seaside villages of Asan and Piti, the inland highlands, and the beaches where the liberation of Guam began in July 1944. Near the eastern edge of the community, the Libugon Viewpoint extends the scene toward Maina, Agana Heights, and Agana Bay.↗↗↗