Onion Valley is our favorite spot to go camping but unfortunately, this past weekend we had some feedback to give. Site #2 is usually our go-to but this time the surrounding vegetation was very overgrown, to the point where you could not fit a 6-person tent in the provided areas and it was a potential fire hazard due to the plants being very close to the fire pit. Additionally, the on-site picnic table was extremely warped making it near impossible to gather around to eat meals. We love coming here so it would be a shame to have this be a reason not to come back. read more

Very busy, book in advance. No water. Limited cell service. Great views with nice hikes. Lots of bears so lock your food up. Good fishing if you hike to the lakes. Expect 6"-8" golden trout. read more

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Highly recommend this campground. I've never seen such clean bathrooms in my life - they actually smelled really good. There are lots of good hikes that start right from the campground. Make sure to make a reservation. When we were there in September it was full and one of our cars had to park kind of far down the road, but we were able to unload at the site so it didn't matter. Note that it's very high elevation. It's near Independence, CA but totally different weather. read more

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Campsites were good. i stayed at number 20 and it has a parking spot. Note even though all the campsites are 'booked' the campground was about half capacity on the weekend I was there. A big 'no show' from all those that booked in advanced. Fire wood is available for purchase. Nice bear lockers and big enough for a large cooler and then some. It should be noted these are the cleanest pit toilets I've ever seen. As of the date of this review the gentleman servicing the toilets is on top of it and works extra hard to keep the bathrooms clean and stocked with toilet paper. I highly recommend this as a great spot to camp for anyone wanting access to miles of hiking in the Eastern Sierra's. read more

Onion Valley Campground - campsite 20 - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

This is long over due. I love this place! Views were amazing, all camp sites were clean and at the time the camp hosts were awesome.

This was absolutely the cleanest and low-key campground I've been to. I love the peace and quiet and the drive up was relatively easy (paved but curvy) compared to some other national forests I have driven to in the past. There is NO RUNNING WATER, NO FLUSH TOILETS. The toilet is a vault toilet but it was surprisingly really clean when I went at the end of the season. As of October 2021, firewood was available for $8. I had Site 14. It's actually really small. Luckily, I only needed to pitch a 2-person tent. I think it will be difficult to pitch a tent larger than that for this site. If you need to book two sites for your group, I would suggest 13/14. Site 13 was right next to us and it was a little too close in my opinion, but the group that had it reserved never showed up. Site 13 looked small too, but the site directly across from 13/14 looks like it could accommodate a 4-6 person tent! I think there are three trails nearby. One trail leads to Robinson Lake, one leads to Kearsarge Pass and the other leads to Golden Trout Lake. My boyfriend and I hiked to Gilbert Lake via Kearsarge Pass and there was hardly anyone on the trail and one party fishing at the lake. There was a lot of snow on the trails so if you're planning on going during fall/winter, plan accordingly! Check temperatures for the dates when you plan to go!!!!! read more

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Perfect in every way. Great bathrooms and epic hiking! My group enjoyed camping via caper van and a separate truck and had everything we needed plus shade and unfortunately no drinking water but we had plenty of our own. read more

Spectacular camping and hiking! Site #3 was perfect! No water, so bring your own. And firewood. It's there, but you pay on the honor system. Say hi to a few backpackers. I met a guy from Denmark hiking the PCT. How cool is that! read more

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I camp and hike in the Eastern Sierra numerous times every summer, and this is one of my very favorite car camping spots. The campground is spectacular and the access to the Kearsarge Pass trailhead can't be beat. Watch your food carefully as there is one bear that frequents the area. read more

We were there in July 2016. Easy drive up the mountain to cooler weather. It was 15-20 degrees cooler at the campground than in Independence. We spent 3 days in sites 2 and 4. They were small spots and more secluded than some of the sites. Pros and cons to both but overall we really enjoyed it. Behind site 2 we basically had our own private meadow. Sweet! Camp Host Bill was great. Vault toilets were clean but the smell is gross (at least there were toilets though). No hand washing station, just one water spigot out side which gave you water for everything, washing up, cooking, etc. We hiked up to Robinson Lake. It was very difficult but amazing!!! It took a few hours and took us through many different types of terrain; forest, rocks, etc. but it was well worth it in the end. My teenage sisters needed a few pep talks and a few splashes of water from a stream along the way to make it to the top. One of our camping days we drove down to town to eat and get some groceries. We also checked out the Film History Museum and it was a fun little pass time. If you're driving up from SoCal and it's not too hot I also suggest stopping at the Manzanar National Historic Site for a history lesson. read more

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It is with sadness that I must give this campground an "okay," because I've been here many times and really do enjoy staying there. Last weekend, from Friday noon through Sunday morning, I was disappointed in that both water spigots were broken (thank goodness we had brought many gallons of water), all the garbage cans were overflowing, and the reservation signs at the individual sites hadn't been updated for a week. That last issue created chaos, in that sites were being taken by people who did not reserve and pay for them, and people were losing a lot of money. Someone lost his site and had to take another that appeared to not be reserved only to have to move when the people who had reserved it showed up to claim it. There were some redeeming qualities, though. The sites are nice, there was plenty of toilet paper in all the bathrooms, the camp was super quiet both nights, and there's ample parking. (If you get sap on you or your stuff from the pine trees there, high-proof Everclear takes off sap really well. Just use it before you wash your clothes.) read more

Went up the hill for the weekend. Got to our campsite 29 around 2:00pm. No shade fortunately it wasn't too hot. Mid 70s. Setup our gear and tent. Had plenty of time to fly my drone and catch some great video of this campground. Site was very clean and someone was kind enough to leave some extra wood. We also brought our own which have us plenty. They do sell wood for 7.50 bucks is you don't have room in your car. Bear lockers are perfect size for coolers and large storage containers. The only complaint is no privacy. This is the last site in the campground loop. Its adjacent to the parking lot. However close to the John and the trash containers. Next day we hiked to flower lake with our doggies. Long hike but well worth it. Next day go up watched the eclipse which was way cool and nice to finish up the trip. read more

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Onion Valley Campground is the launch point to three trails - all appropriate for rewarding day hikes. WEST (5 out of 5 stars): The westward trail to Kearsarge Pass that enters Kings Canyon National Park is a 9.7-mile roundtrip hike from 9200' to 11,760'. Following five mountain lakes, the pass itself has the best singular view of all three trails. Please see www.yelp.com/biz/kearsarge-pass-bishop for detailed comments. NORTH (5 out of 5 stars): The northerly Golden Trout Lake trail is the most diversely rewarding of the three trails but the 5-mile roundtrip hike with 2200' gain was also the hardest to follow. The hike starts on the same trail as Kearsarge Pass but splits right at a marked sign towards the waterfall that is seen from the parking lot. Going up the right side of the waterfall is the steepest part of the hike. The path crosses over the top of the falls at 10,100' and continues on a trail perched high above the left bank of the creek through gnarly pine trees - many fallen. When the canyon narrows, there might a snow bridge. As the canyon spreads, a brief rock scramble leads to a wide marshy area at 10,900'. The pretty marsh is also a junction to lakes. I didn't go left to Golden Trout Lake based on recommendations from other hikers on the trail but went right to two unnamed lakes. For sake of discussion convenience and personal vanity, I will call these lakes Lower Tater at 11,300' and Upper Tater at 11,400'. The lakes don't look like potatoes but pair well with the Onion Valley. The Taters are two of many gorgeous lakes in the Sierras surrounded by granite monuments like Upper Tater sits below the jagged Dragon Peak. The steep spires also crumble as I heard and saw giant boulders tumble down the bowl of the mountain. My favorite spot was sitting on a granite bulge with fuchsia-colored wildflowers prying through the cracks next to a rushing stream connecting Upper and Lower Tater. Stone-stepping across shallow stream crossings and carefully tip-toeing through barely-disturbed small meadows were major pluses. SOUTH (4 out of 5 stars): The southside trail goes to Robinson Lake for a 2.8-mile roundtrip hike with 1400' elevation gain. The trailhead is in the campground but not marked due to a missing sign. I thought the trail was "behind" campsite #8 and went to the right of the cascades that can be seen from the parking lot. This is a crazy rogue trail that should not be used even though rock cairns mark parts of this trail. The real trail is found by continuing "straight past" site #8 and crossing the creek. This trail was washed out due to the water but a work-around trail leads to a mock log bridge that crosses the creek. The lower section of the "real" trail is repetitive and surrounded by view-blocking trees. The upper part of the trail laces through the rock pile at the base of Independence Peak. Without trees, views of the Onion Valley are finally available. Robinson Lake shares many similar attributes to other Sierra lakes except for the shallow depth that produced an aqua-turquoise color. read more

Thank you fellow Yelpers. The reviews for the campground on yelp were the most helpful thing I came across when researching my stay at the onion valley campground. The campground is located high, high, high up in the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierras at 9,200 feet. You will leave the desert far behind you as you travel up, up, up, on a winding, sometimes scary, road to reach the oasis that is Onion Valley Campground. The surrounding scenery of the campground is gorgeous. Aspens, Lodgepole pines, tall pointy grey mountain peaks, several waterfalls, and a nearby stream. Could you ask for anything else?Absolutely Gorgeous!! When we first arrived our hearts sank as we didn't have a campsite reservation and we came upon a huge parking lot filled with cars. We thought for sure we were going to be out of luck. Whew!! All those cars were actually backcountry backpackers utilizing the trail to hike towards Whitney. We lucked out at 8pm on a Thursday as we snagged one of two remaining campsites. Campsite #5 was a lovely and surprisingly large site. There were 2 plots for tents. Since there was only two of us we were stretched out in luxury. Only bummer about our site was we had to park our car in the parking lot as there was no dedicated space for it directly in front of our site but it wasn't a horrible inconvenience as it was only short walking distance away. The campground host gave us exactly 7 minutes to park in front of our site and unload or things...he jokingly said we looked like trouble makers so he was going to time us....least I think he was joking when he said that. The facilities were clean and well organized. The restrooms are pit toilet's and they were well maintained. Because we were so high in elevation the area does get bear activity so you must be conscientious about putting everything in the provided bear bin and about cleaning up after yourself if you cook. We didn't encounter any bears but several deer wandered through our site. The deer are pretty oblivious to you as they munch away on the surrounding shrubs. If you didn't bring enough water there are several spigots with running water that is drinkable and I'm sure the water quality is amazing considering its most likely sourced from nearby streams. The campsites are conveniently located near several trails which are great for day hikes. The trail to Kersarge pass is almost 3,000 feet in elevation gain and about 5 miles one way. It passes by several lakes which we stopped and fished at. The fish in the lakes are the special Golden Trout. We didn't catch anything but it was a nice way to slow down and enjoy the scenery. We started our hike at 8:30 and because of all our stops we didn't get to the pass till about 5:30 We ran into a friendly solo backpacker who hiked straight through and he started at 1:30 and arrived at the pass same time we did. The Robinson lake Trail was another hike we did which was a completely different experience than our hike to Kearsarge pass. This trail takes you up past the waterfall that you see from the campground to a large alpine lake far above. It is close to a 2,500 feet gain in elevation but it isn't well maintained and it is very very steep. It's like they didn't take the time to stretch out the trail with switchbacks so you end up walking directly up a mountain. It was a fairly quick way up to the lake and definitely worth doing especially if you prefer a bit more solitude. We only encountered one other soul on this hike whereas everyone and their mother was on the hike to Kearsarge pass. Overall a great campground with fantastic access to beautiful hiking trails, alpine lakes, waterfalls, streams and fishing. Great for a quick couple of days in the Sierras to recharge. read more

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Looking for a place to camp in the eastern Sierras and Whitney Portal is full? Try Onion Valley to the north. The campground is at 9,200 feet and sits at the trail head to the Kearsarge Pass. To get there head 13 miles west on Market Street from I-395 in Independence. The good thing is that it isn't as popular as Whitney Portal or Horseshoe Meadow, so you'll probably be able to find an open site Monday through Thursday in the afternoons of the high season. The weekends may be a problem. You can also reserve a site if you plan ahead. Speaking of planning ahead, be sure to get a wilderness pass if you want to hike into the back country. The campground has pit toilets, water, and fire wood for sale. The sites are on the small side, but they come with bear boxes and grills for the fire rings. You can park at most sites, but 7 are walk-ins. Tall conifers and lots of bushes provide adequate privacy. DO NOT BELIEVE THE OLD MAPS THAT SHOWS THE CAMPGROUND NEXT TO ROBINSON LAKE!!!!!! It is at least a 1 1/2 mile hike up a steep trail to get to the lake. There are two small waterfalls visible from the campground, though. There is a huge temperature swing between the Owens Valley floor and Onion Valley (figure about 20 to 25 degrees cooler up there). The first night we were there the winds gusted up to 30 mph or so, but the second night was calmer and in the low 40s. Bring warm clothes, even in the summer. Ghost town fans, look due west from Onion Valley Road after you pass Seven Pines for stone foundations. This is what is left of the first Kearsarge, the mining boom town that got buried under an avalanche in the late 1860s. There is another Kearsarge that was a train stop on the Carson and Colorado Railroad, but that one was down in the Owens Valley. read more

Onion Valley Campground - Moon setting over the Kearsage Pass - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

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We stayed at this campsite since it was right next to the Kearsarge Pass trail head. The campsite is smaller than I anticipated with just one drive through loop. We got there late at night and found out that our site #8 did not have up front parking so we didn't set up camp that night and just slept in the car. Next morning I met the camp host who was really nice and offered us to pick any available campsite. We picked #14 which is a great site since there was plenty of shade from the trees (only a handful of sites were well shaded). The views from #14 were fantastic, we were able to have full view of the mountains from our picnic table. I posted a few pictures as well. Also wanted to point out the toilets are non-flushing they are more like port a potties but not as stinky. That might scare some folks but doesn't bother me. We hiked two trails the Robinson Lake Trail which was pretty steep and not well maintained. The Kearsarge Pass Trail was amazing since the scenery would gradually change rocky mountains to lush green lakes. Would definitely do the Kearsarge Pass Trail again. Overall we had a safe and pleasant trip would camp here again but wouldn't do reservation since there was an extra fee for reservation and you don't get a sense of how big the campsite really is or how shaded it is until you get to see it. Bringing a checkbook and doing the drive up seems to be the best and most convenient option here plus you get to pick your ideal site. Don't forget to bring your Citronella candles to ward off the mosquitoes. read more

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Nice, high altitude trailhead campground conveniently located near the Kearsarge Pass trail. It's a great place to camp the night before your backpack trip. You can acclimate to the high elevation here. It's a restful camp. Pretty quiet at night. The campsites are a little on the small size, even for backpacking tents. The camp host , Dennis, is cheerful and hospitable. It's a steep drive to this location from Independence-town. Make sure your car can handle the task without overheating! read more

Just returned home from a great time camping up at Onion Valley over the 4th of July weekend. This outing was a make-up from last year's Memorial Day disaster! This time, the weather was beautiful with temperatures around the upper 70s to low 80s. The evening was a bit cold but still tolerable with a jacket. This weekend made up for the blizzard conditions I endured last year at Onion Valley. I basically concur with all the positive reviews below. This camping experience has set a new standard for all future camping. Kearsarge Pass Trail is well managed and easy for the fit hiker. But, for the not-so-fit, it's still a bit of a challenge--especially up at 9200 ft. Kearsarge Pass is an moderate hike that consists of a bunch of switchbacks all the way up to the lakes. Our hard-earned tax dollars has been well spent on maintaining this trail. The vault restrooms are very well kept, with the cooperation of all the respectful campers. Bring a bucket so you can carry water back to your campsite. Washing hands, feet, dishes, cleaning fish, etc. is not permitted at the water spigots. For absolute privacy, campsite #2 cannot be beat. read more

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WEATHER ADVICE - IMPORTANT: This place was outstanding like everyone else's comments show. However we had to leave early due to an unfortunate weather issue. When Googling "Onion Valley Campground Weather", all the search results show inaccurate weather. Most searches show weather for the city of Independence (alt of 3,900 ft), and the title says "Onion Valley Campground" (which is 9,600 ft.) This really messed up our trip. We packed and planned for 40-60 degree weather like the forecasts showed and ended up with 18-35 degree weather, a huge snow storm and 65mph winds that broke the tent. We were cold, snowed in, wet and had to leave early. Made for a great story and we made the best of it but not ideal. Check more accurate weather reports that specify altitude and mountain conditions. read more

Onion Valley Campground - Check weather before going. Google is inaccurate. Double check altitudes of weather reports. - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

Onion Valley is beautiful. It's about 20 minutes up the mountain from independence, and the drive is lovely. The campground is a good size - there are maybe 15 or 16 sites, varying in size. Sites 1 - 4 are tiny, and I have no idea how you'd ever fit 6 people in them, even though the reservation site says that's how many they fit. If you've got 6 people, book 9, or 13 - 15. Those sites looked huge. Each site has a really big bear locker - the biggest I've seen at a campsite, actually. We fit coolers and food in one bear locker for 9 people and there was still room to spare. The bathrooms are vault toilets, and they're really well maintained, which was a relief - usually those things smell so awful. Ew. There is a hike to Robinson Lake from the campground, that starts between campsites 8 and 9. It's about 2 miles up a steeeeep mountain and it's not very well maintained. This is definitely no nature walk. The lake is beautiful if you make it up there. There's another hike up to the Kearsarge Pass. The trail head is near the campground parking lot, and it's about 4.5 miles up to the Pass. This hike is definitely not steep like the Robinson Lake hike - it's not difficult at all in comparison, actually, but it's still not easy. The hike switches from greenery/lakes to rocks every so often. It's really strange, but it's beautiful. You'll pass 3 lakes on your way up to the Pass, where there's another lake. I went to Onion Valley at the end of September and it was about 70 - 80 degrees during the day, and below 30 at night. read more

Bill is the greatest host ever! My friend and I stumbled into the campground at 8:45 pm after a grueling 16 miles of hiking and knocked on Bill's door. He was totally ok with that and helpful guiding us to a campsite. Soon there after he showed up with homemade brownies not even knowing that we hadn't eaten in 7 hrs, were nearly out of food and coming in for our resupply. THEN he returned again with homemade BBQ, potato ships and bananas! I thought I had died and gone to heaven! Such a good, kind and generous soul! We ate like ravenous animals and could not have been more grateful! I have ever met a host at any campground so interested in the comfort and well being of his guests. read more

This was my first time camping ever. I went with a group of friends who mostly also had never done much camping. our experience was great! we had gone from august 8-10 just this summer staying for 2 nights-3 days...it was pretty much a perfect getaway. it was pretty warm during the day reaching probably no hotter than 90F and at night got pretty chilly, probably somewhere between 40F-50F the campground had water spigots every few campsites away. there were also several restrooms, non flush toilets, that they kept clean very well. some campsites seemed to be pretty spacious for a group of 6 and some seemed to be meant for maybe 3-4 people max. the lockers were large enough for us to fit 2 regular sized coolers with some extra space to spare. they have a grill top on the fire pit but it didn't seem to be sanitary to cook on it so luckily we had brought our own portable grill. if you plan to go hiking and have never gone before, make sure you train just a little bit at least. a couple of our members in our party were pretty tired about 15-20 minutes after beginning our hike up the mountain. overall this place was very great! I would and will in the future suggest this place and continue camping here :) read more

I recently spent a weekend at Onion Valley campground and could not be happier with the result. I had never been to this campground before but had read the reviews and decided to give it a try without having a reservation. My son and I arrived early on a Friday morning and found Bill, the camp host. We introduced ourselves and asked if he had anything available for the weekend. After some small talk he offered us campsite 14, and we were set for the weekend. There are many directions to go from the campground once you establish camp. There are many hiking opportunities (we did the Robinson Lake hike) and fishing opportunities as well in both the lakes and the creeks. The campground itself was fantastic. The grounds were manicured of overgrown brush, and the bathrooms were the cleanest I have seen in the Sierras! Bill was the friendliest host I have come across in all of my years of camping. He is knowledgeable of the area, very helpful, and just an all around good guy with a great sense of humor. He fit in well with my group and actually joined us at our campfire Saturday night where we got to know him a little bit better. And he made a point of stopping by Sunday morning before we left to wish as all well, and to wish my son the best in his upcoming college journey. We had a great time at this campground and look forward to a return trip sometime in the near future. read more

This place has to be one of my favorite places to camp of all time! The 360 degree view is amazing here and not to mention the views from the hiking trails to Robinson Lake, Kearsarge Pass, and Golden Trout Lake are also amazing! The campsites and bathrooms are clean. And best of all, the campsite host, Jake, is really awesome & friendly too. My fiancé and I have come up here 4 times this summer and every time we have a blast. The temperature at Onion Valley Campground can be a little tricky though. I usually use the forecast.weather.gov site and you'll be able to search by coordinates. Also, you don't have to bring your own firewood because they sell it here and it's at a reasonable price. Plus you won't have to waste any space in your vehicle to bring up wood. read more

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Wow, James made this trip so much more enjoyable. He was so nice and the perfect Camp Host. He was very knowledgeable about the trails, and the whole area. The Campsites were about the cleanest I've EVER seen in my life. I could not believe my own eyes when i saw how perfectly manicured the site and even the parking spots were every morning when i woke up. It was like looking at a Japanese Zen Garden. Thanks James. Jerry read more

Perfect campground in an absolutely gorgeous surrounding environment. Situated high in the eastern sierras around 9,200 ft in a small valley flanked by enormous peaks on 3 sides, with streams literally running right through the campground, and various waterfalls in sight, this place is simply amazing. At night the stars are breathtaking, and you can always hear the calming sounds of the streams working their way down the mountains as you sit around the campfire. Because this is somewhat of an off-the-beaten-path campground, most of your neighbors are very respectful and considerate, both of the environment itself as well as of fellow campers. For this trip, my goal was to find a campground that was a spectacle in itself, rather than just being a home base nearby to spectacles we intended to visit, and this campground definitely hit the mark. Although amenities are limited and you are definitely roughing it a bit, what they do provide is actually quite nice. It's hard to say good things about pit toilets, but these were honestly the cleanest ones I have ever used in my life. Water spickets are handy throughout the campground (not for drinking unless the water is boiled), and picnic tables, bear boxes, and fire rings all serve their purposes as expected. Firewood is available for around 6 bucks a bundle (cash only), simply by stopping by the campground host's trailer, who is a very friendly and informative gentleman indeed. Hiking - We hiked 2 different trails up the mountains during our stay, each one leading us to some of the beautiful lakes hidden high above the campground at around 10k to 11k ft. Both hikes were less than or right around 2 miles to reach their respective lakes, providing just the right amount of challenge for us. These are steep hikes, that took a few hours each (basically 2 hrs up, 1 hr down), but the paths are somewhat manicured and fairly easy to follow, rarely forcing you use your hands. Had we climbed even higher, there are even more lakes to see, but we were quite content with the 3 pristine mountain lakes that we visited between the 2 hikes. Robinson and Gilbert Lakes in particular were absolutely magical to say the least, each with crystal clear water and mystical mountain peaks surrounding them on all sides, teeming with life and barely touched by mankind. Fishing - Although I didn't do as much as I had planned during our stay, Gilbert Lake definitely had fish jumping, and I desperately wished I had brought my pole up the mountain with me for that hike. I did bring it for the next hike to Robinson Lake, but didn't have much luck, most likely because I was fishing during the middle of the day. I plan to go back and be a bit more hardcore about it next time, ideally getting up around 4 or 5am to make the trek up the mountain and start fishing by 6 or 7am, probably at Gilbert Lake this time, and I'm sure I'll have better luck. On our way home we stopped at Diaz Lake, just south of Lone Pine (about 25 miles from the campground), and we sat on a dock and watched the sun set over the mountains beyond the lake. Yet again I didn't quite find the time to fish, and yet again they were jumping like mad. Ahh well, next time for sure. Tips: * We were there in mid-September, and although there weren't many mosquitoes, the temperature swing was considerable, making for some fairly cold nights. It went from anywhere around 80 to 85 during the day, to low 50's to high 40's at night, often accompanied by strong winds. Long story short... bring LOTS of layers, and a gang of spare blankets and sleeping bags to ensure comfort during the warm days and cool nights. * Bring groceries with you! We filled up a large cooler with lots of meat, beer, and other goodies, toted it all the way from LA, and never had to change the ice once for the whole 4 days that we were there (it melted at some point, so keeping the food raised up in Tupperware is crucial, but it kept the food cold). Our friends, on the other hand, decided they would wait until they got to Independence (the nearest town) and get their groceries there, at a grocery store they found listed online. Well guess what... that store went out of business years ago, so they ended up paying high prices for hotdogs and lunchables at the only shopping possibility in town, which was a 24 hour Chevron. * Plan ahead so you have everything you need on the first trip up to the campground, as you won't want to make the trek up and down the mountain more than once unless you absolutely have to. It is quite curvy and intense, and hard on your vehicle due to the huge gains in elevation, so you'll want to keep these journeys to a minimum for sure. All and all, I think this is one of my favorite campgrounds of all time, and I highly recommend spending at least a night or 2 there on your next trip through the eastern sierras. read more

Great campground! In July 2011 there were still raging waterfalls (3 that you can see/hear) from the campground. 2 great hikes from the parking lot and the camp host was friendly and helpful (I think her name was Jessica). Also the water out of the spigot was delicious:) I am from San Diego and the tap water is gross, so I look forward to great campground water ( mostly in sequoia and kings canyon). Bottom line, stay here. Campsites 1, 6, and 19 were the coolest. read more

This is the best campground ever. James, the campground host, keeps it immaculate, raking each site after every use, cleaning the bathrooms everyday, making trips up and down the hill to take pct hikers back and forth. He is friendly, knowledgable and helpful. His dog, Isabelle, is also charming. The location is spectacular. I would go back in a heartbeat. read more

First week of October 2012. Water spigots all turned off. Clear sunny weather, frigid at night (low 40s) and windy. Too windy for campfire, so we laid in tent 7pm-7am. Going out to pee at night in the freezing wind was a bummer. Warning, Robinson Lake trail is not good. It's a tough scramble directly up, lots of steep bolder steps, not a switchback groomed trail. Going down, we were constantly amazed that we went up it. Robinson Lake was small but very pretty. Caught three tiny fish and threw them back. Most visitors park and backpack over the pass rather than car camp and day-hike. Observed no mosquitoes, no squirrels, no bears, few campers. It's a very steep narrow curvy road to the campground, you better have good brakes! read more

We found this campground 3 years ago via a friend prior to hiking Mount Whitney. We returned again this year, staying from 6/19-6/21, as always this places is great. This year the Camp Host is James. This guy is awesome. His Job is to take care of the campground. He goes above and beyond. He really is a great guy that just made this place more amazing. Kearsarge pass hike and Robinson lake hikes are highly recommended. If the owners of the concession happen to see this you got a good man watching out over this campground. I cannot emphasize this enough. read more

Really enjoyed the last weekend of the season at Onion Valley. Full moon and a great relief from the heat in the valley below. Aspens were changing colors and the campsite was amazing as usual. Very happy to make it up for the last trip of the season. Made the hike up to Robinson lake and went right at the sign instead of left and had a pretty tough hike up to the avalanche field. Will bring a compass and topo map in the future. read more

Had a great time at Onion Valley campground! We were pointed up there by a friendly gas station attendant down the hill in the little town of Independence. The camp host is a hoot, there were plenty of unreserved spots to pick from (some with car spots others were walk-in only), clean utilities, friendly folks, great views and gorgeous hikes. We'll definitely be heading back! ...$16 cash is the nightly price, if that's helpful to know :) read more

Awesome campsite nestled in below the mountains. The views are so beautiful. There's running water at the nearby bathrooms, which was super convenient. We had walk in campsite 22, and it had a fire pit carved into a rock that prevented wind from getting to the fire as well as a grate. Walk in means you can't drive to the site, which I didn't know, but we preferred it since it was more secluded. I had to reserve this campsite 4 months in advance and grabbed the last spot for mid-August. Plan ahead and book this! The hike up to Kearsarge embodies the Eastern Sierras perfectly. read more

Just returned from an amazing weekend at this campground. 3rd week of june daytime high, 75, night low, 55. Breezy with some gusts. Upon research, we took our chances and arrived late morning on a Friday, to get one of the last walk up sites large enough to hold our big tent... Bill the host is a great guy and keeps the grounds in great shape. Each site has it's plus and negatives, ours was it was right next door to the parking lot, and Bill's place, so many people came up to us thinking we were the hosts. We were treated to a great afternoon hike up to Golden trout lake, very "ambitious" hike with lots of rocks and not well marked. The lake was more like a beautiful meadow. (5 hours including about 30 min. at the lake.) We encountered a couple groups of folks that missed the sign for the Kearsage Pass at the fork in the trail, and they had to turn back and lost a lot of time/distance due to the error. That sign should be bigger, and more visible. Our full day hike was up to the Kearsage Pass, along the beautiful lakes and scenery, although the last stretch before summit is a stinker, I thought I was in good shape till this hike.... (8 hours, including about 2 hour stopping/fishing time) Tip, bring lots of water, and/or tabs, snacks, sunscreen, and bug repellant. It was a pleasure to give the PCT backpacker/hikers a ride up/ down the mountain from Independence, and our final morning hosted a weary young man to a bowl of fresh cut up fruit and breakfast. Looking forward to another visit next summer. read more

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Love onion valley! It it probably the most amazing campground I have ever been to! Bill the camp host is the best host I have ever met! We were in the middle of a thunder and lightening storm and he checked on us several times! He did an amazing job cleaning the vault toilets. Also, all sites are cleaned and raked before you arrive! I can't wait to go back. One caution, some sites are on the smaller side and don't lend themselves to larger tents. Love love love OV! read more

My husband and I pulled in late at night and was amazed. River goes thru the campground and the sky is so clear that you feel like you can touch the stars. We did not spend time around the campground during the day. It was just a place to take a break in our trip up to Mammoth but the mountain with the morning light looks tempting. Maybe our next trip will be just there :) read more

Onion Valley Campground - Mountain view from the campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

Fantastic campsite. Small lots (we didn't have room for more than 2 tents) but the setting is gorgeous. The camp host was super friendly, helpful, and these were some of the cleanest vault toilets I've ever seen! Would most definitely stay here again. read more

We've been using this campground as our last stop on the way home from the Reno Air Races for the past 19 years. The campground was in the best shape we've ever seen it, cudos to the camp Host for doing a great job in maintaining the site and the heads; very friendly and helpful also, My Thanks. read more

I stayed at Onion Valley campground at the end of July. It has several small creeks around it with two small waterfalls within view and three challenging hikes for the average day hiker. For the backpacker, it has a popular opening to the back country wilderness areas leading to King's Canyon National Park. Even in July the weather in the evening can be quite cool, so bring a jacket and hat, as well as a warm sleeping bag. It was in the low forties for me. The day was very nice for hiking. The temperature was in the low seventies with clear skies. I had a conversation with the campground host, and he said the campground has several campsites for people who don't have a reservation. His recommendation is to arrive by nine in the morning in the summer to find a space. The drive up sites available without a reservation are numbers 9, 10, 13, and 14. The walk-in campsites are 1, 5, 7, 17, 23, and 28. I reserved campsites 23. It was a walk-in site. If you don't mind schlepping your stuff up a small trail and can find a spot to park near the trail head, it was nice not to hear your neighbors talking while you tried to sleep or enjoyed your campfire. I thought campsite 21 was nice as well. It is another walk-in site across the trail from number 23. Both 21 and 23 were large enough for two small tents and gear. read more

James, the host of the Onion Valley Campground was excellent. James was friendly, helpful, and very knowledgable of the fauna that surrounded Onion Valley. In particular, the bathrooms (pit-type) were the cleanest, odor free I've ever experienced--particularly important for the ladies of our party. James even took the time to tutor my wife on the edible variety of wild onion plants the valley is known for--a really out-of-way kindness on James part. On the way home we stopped at the Mt. Whitney Portal, beautiful but crowded--Onion valley was so much more peaceful. read more