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Onion Valley: how hard is it to reserve?
Inyo National Forest · USDA Forest Service · Independence, CA
As of Oct 10, 2026, 53% of Friday and Saturday site-nights at Onion Valley over the next 90 days are already reserved, compared with 21% of weeknights. Weekends are much harder than weekdays here — shifting a trip to Sunday–Thursday is the easiest way to get a site. In the next 30 days, 11 of 30 dates have at least one open site (247 open site-nights in total; 247 over 90 days).
Upcoming weekends
| Weekend (Fri–Sat) | Booked | Open sites Fri | Open sites Sat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 66% | 10 | 10 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 21% | 23 | 23 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 13, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 20, 2026 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
Snapshot history
| Snapshot date | Score | Weekends booked | Weeknights booked | Open dates 30d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2026 | 56 | 53% | 21% | 11 |
About Onion Valley
- 29 campsites (29 listed in availability data)
- $31 per night
- Recreation.gov rating 4.2/5 from 342 reviews
- Equipment: Tent, RV, Trailer, Caravan/Camper Van, Pickup Camper
- Activities: Wildlife Viewing, Horseback Riding, Hiking, Fishing, Camping
This quiet campground is set amidst breathtaking scenery of rugged mountain peaks, thick forests and waterfalls in the Onion Valley area of the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Its location on the creek and proximity to the John Muir Wilderness make it a popular hub for hikers, anglers, photographers and those who want to relax in a peaceful, natural setting.Majestic scenery and challenging trails draw campers to the Onion Valley area for hiking and horseback riding. The campground is near Kearsarge Pass, Robinson Lake and Golden Trout Lakes Trailheads, which access several alpine lakes and mo…
Description excerpt from Recreation.gov.
Check live availability and book on Recreation.gov →
Other campgrounds in Inyo National Forest
| Campground | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oh Ridge Inyo National Forest | Very hard | 100% | 0 |
| Twin Lakes Campground Inyo National Forest | Very hard | 100% | 0 |
| Whitney Portal Inyo National Forest | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Silver Lake Campground June Lake (Ca) Inyo National Forest | Very hard | 100% | 0 |
| Convict Lake Campground Inyo National Forest | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Coldwater Campground - Inyo NF (Ca) Inyo National Forest | Not measured yet | n/a | 0 |
| New Shady Rest Campground Inyo National Forest | Not measured yet | n/a | 0 |
| French Camp Inyo National Forest | Hard | 66% | 11 |
| East Fork Campground – Inyo National Forest (Ca) Inyo National Forest | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Sherwin Creek Inyo National Forest | Not measured yet | n/a | 0 |
Nearby campgrounds
| Campground | State | Difficulty | Weekends booked | Open dates (30d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep Creek Campground Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | CA | Hard | 84% | 13 |
| Moraine Campground (Ca) Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | 0 |
| Sentinel Campground Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | 0 |
| Lodgepole Campground-Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | CA | Very hard | 100% | 12 |
| Cold Springs Campground (Ca) Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |
| Big Meadow Campground - Us Forest Service Sequoia National Forest (Ca) Sequoia National Forest | CA | Not measured yet | n/a | n/a |