AT A GLANCE
Why go?
War in the Pacific National Historical Park is a collection of World War II battle sites scattered across the western coastline of Guam, where the brutal 1944 struggle to liberate the island still lingers in coral cliffs, jungle ridges and quiet beaches. Established in 1978 to honor the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought in the Pacific Theater, the park preserves former Imperial Japanese fortifications, American landing beaches and memorials to the soldiers and CHamoru families who lived through the war.↗↗
It is part museum and part tropical shoreline: you can walk paved paths between gun emplacements one minute, then look out over tide pools and windsurfers on turquoise water the next. For anyone interested in the Pacific war, or simply looking for a meaningful, easy half-day stop with shaded trails and sea views, this park offers a rare chance to stand on the ground where the Battle of Guam was won.↗↗
A park spread across the battlefield coast
Guam is only about 212 square miles, yet this one small island holds the story of an entire theater of war. Captured by Imperial Japanese forces just days after Pearl Harbor, Guam stayed under Japanese control for 31 months until U.S. forces returned on 21 July 1944. The national park was created to remember that campaign and to protect the island's natural, scenic and historic values.
