The Swimming Hole

Swimming Hole located at Minidoka War Relocation Center.

Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration

Quick Facts

Location:

Minidoka National Historic Site

Significance:

Historic Site

Designation:

National Historic Site

Amenities

4 listed

Benches/Seating, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information, Scenic View/Photo Spot

In 1943, incarcerees built this swimming hole with help from the camp’s volunteer fire fighters and Physical Education classes. Measuring 20 feet wide by 200 feet long, it was filled with water redirected from the North Side Canal, which channels its water from Milner Dam and the Snake River. Although the swimming hole has since dried up, it reminds visitors of the stark difference between the lush Pacific Northwest coast where incarcerees called home, and the barren Idaho desert where they were unlawfully imprisoned.