Campgrounds and RV parks near Independence, CA

Onion Valley Road climbs west from Independence to trailheads for Kearsarge Pass, Robinson Lake, and Golden Trout Lakes, which access alpine lakes and peaks within the John Muir Wilderness as well as Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. The eastern Sierras are known for trout fishing, with rainbow, brown, brook, and Alpers trout in Robinson Lake and nearby creeks. Manzanar National Historic Site, just south of town, is free to enter and works well as a half-day visit. The Eastern California Museum in Independence covers Paiute and Owens Valley history. South in Lone Pine, the Alabama Hills offer easy walks among film-set rock formations and a short drive to the Mount Whitney portal. North toward Big Pine, the Palisade Glacier trailhead and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest reward longer day trips. Sequoia and Kings Canyon are reachable by long, indirect drives via the Central Valley.

Independence and most of the Owens Valley have a high cool-arid climate with hot summers and cool winters. Valley-floor campgrounds stay open year-round, but high-elevation sites operate on a much shorter season. Onion Valley and most Inyo National Forest sites above 7,000 feet typically open as snow melts in late spring and close by mid-fall, with exact dates set by weather. Inyo National Forest campgrounds are seasonally opened and closed, open dates are approximate, a heavy snowpack may delay opening, and early closure may occur to protect water systems from freezing. At Inyo County's Independence Creek Campground, water is turned off for the winter months and no shower facilities are available. Summer in the valley is hot, with July highs averaging near 98 degrees, while nights at higher campgrounds stay cool. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons for the valley floor and bring wildflowers and fall color along creek corridors. Winter brings cold nights, occasional snow, and chain controls on roads west into Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Trans-Sierra routes such as Tioga Pass and the Kings Canyon Highway close in winter and reopen in late spring.

Expect a mix of paved highway driving on U.S. 395 and narrow, winding mountain roads on the canyon spurs. Roads to Onion Valley and Glacier Lodge are paved but steep, with tight curves near the top that make large rigs difficult. Onion Valley accommodates sites up to 25 feet long, and Glacier Lodge campsites are accessed via a steep hill, with sites that are fairly level but close together. Lower-valley parks like Boulder Creek RV Resort handle big motorhomes and trailers more easily. Bear activity is historically high at Onion Valley, where a bear-proof locker is provided at each site and all food and scented items must be stored in the lockers. Cell service is reliable in Independence, Lone Pine, Big Pine, and Bishop but drops in the canyons. Higher-elevation Forest Service sites are primitive, with vault toilets and no hookups. Valley campgrounds offer fuller services. Pack layers; nighttime temperatures drop sharply at elevation even in midsummer.