Onion Valley

About

Onion Valley Campground occupies one of the most dramatic settings in the eastern Sierra Nevada, nestled at 9,600 feet amid rugged granite peaks at the end of Onion Valley Road west of Independence. The 29 campsites sit adjacent to a creek beneath lodgepole pines and aspens, with wildflowers coloring the landscape in early summer. This location makes it an essential staging area for backpackers heading into the John Muir Wilderness via Kearsarge Pass, which provides access to the Pacific Crest Trail and Sequoia-Kings Canyon backcountry. The campground operates seasonally, typically May through mid-October depending on snow conditions. Reservations are available through Recreation.gov until September 15, after which sites become first-come, first-served. The steep access road is not recommended for trailers; maximum vehicle length is 25 feet, and tent trailers are permissible. There is no potable water on-site, so campers must bring adequate supplies. Due to high bear activity throughout the Onion Valley area, bear-proof food storage lockers are provided at each site and their use is mandatory. Vault toilets and bear-proof trash receptacles are available. Firewood is sold in the campground. Anglers can fish for rainbow, brown, brook, and Alpers trout in Robinson Lake and the nearby creek.

Directions

From Highway 395 in Independence, turn west on Market Street which becomes Onion Valley Road. Follow for approximately 15 miles to the campground at 9,600 feet elevation. The road is steep and winding; trailers are not recommended.