Connectivity
No community carrier report is currently published for this campground.
Community-reported service can change with terrain, weather, congestion, and carrier coverage.
Campground
Grays Meadows
Inyo National Forest, California
About this campground
Grays Meadows Campground offers a wandering creek, both sunny and shaded campsites and a high-desert landscape.
Grays Meadows Campground is situated along Independence Creek in the Onion Valley area of the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Most of the campground is located in a large oak grove, providing shade.
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 36.768889° N
- Longitude
- 118.295000° W
Know before you arrive
Access, sites & campground features
Official facility and campsite inventory, supplemented by clearly marked community reports when the official listing does not publish the detail.
Access
- Drive-in
Site types
- Tent sites
- RV / trailer sites
- Standard campsites
Features
For campers
- ADA access
- Fires
- Pets allowedDogs are allowed in developed Forest Service recreation sites when restrained, crated or caged, or on a leash no longer than six feet. Posted site restrictions still apply.
- Reservable
For vehicles
- Big rig friendlyPublished vehicle length up to 40 ft
Official campground guide
Plan with the full campground details
Facility information, site rules, booking windows, and published rates. Source snapshot checked Oct 18, 2026.
Overview
Grays Meadows Campground is situated along Independence Creek in the Onion Valley area of the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Its location on the creek and proximity to the rugged John Muir Wilderness make it a popular hub for hikers, anglers, spring skiers and snowboarders.
Opening and closing dates may be dependent on weather conditions.
Facilities
The facility consists of an upper and lower campground. The creek borders one side; sites 10, 12, 13, 14, 40, 41, 46 and 51 are closest to the water. Most of the campground is located in a large oak grove, providing shade.
The area is frequented by bears so campers must store food in the bear-proof lockers provided on-site. Firewood is available for purchase at the campground.
Recreation
Majestic mountain scenery and challenging trails draw campers to the Onion Valley area for hiking and horseback riding. The well-known and demanding Shepherd Pass Trail, which can be reached just west of Grays Meadows Campground, heads up to alpine lakes and the high peaks of the John Muir Wilderness.
Independence Creek is regularly stocked with trophy-size rainbow trout. Anglers flock to the creek for its early trout fishing season, which starts the first weekend in March, ahead of much of the area.
Natural Features
Grays Meadows Campground offers a wandering creek, both sunny and shaded campsites and a high-desert landscape. It sits at an elevation 6,100 ft. and is bordered on the west by Mt. Williamson and Mt. Whitney, the highest peaks in the contiguous United States.
The area is home to abundant wildlife, including black bear, mountain lions, mule deer, pine marten, pika and many species of fish and birds.
Nearby Attractions
Campers can enter the John Muir Wilderness , a land of lofty snow-capped mountains, deep canyons and vast expanses of glacially carved terrain, via nearby trails.
Activities & amenities
What Recreation.gov or the campground’s official source specifically lists.
Available activities
- Hiking
- Fishing
- Camping
Amenities and facility features
Recreation sites
Published inventory grouped by site type. Individual sites can have stricter limits.
Standard Non-Electric
31 sites- Reservation type
- Site-Specific
- Equipment
- RV, Tent, Trailer
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 1
- Maximum vehicle length
- 40 ft
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 11:00 AM
- Accessible sites
- 4 flagged accessible
Management
22 sites- Reservation type
- Non Site-Specific
- Equipment
- Tent
- Maximum people
- 6
- Maximum vehicles
- 1
- Maximum vehicle length
- 40 ft
- Check-in
- 0:00 AM, 2:00 PM
- Check-out
- 0:00 AM, 11:00 AM
- Accessible sites
- None flagged in site inventory
Site rules, inventory & rates
Facility rules, inventory procedures, and price seasons published by the official source.
Site rules
- Maximum stay
- 14 consecutive nights
- Minimum stay
- 1 consecutive nights
- Holiday-weekend minimum
- 0 days
- Weekend minimum
- 0 days
- Reservation cutoff
- 4 days before arrival
- Maximum published occupancy
- 6 people per site
- Maximum published vehicles
- 1 vehicles per site
- Check-in
- 2:00 PM, 0:00 AM
- Check-out
- 11:00 AM, 0:00 AM
- Food storage
- Grays Meadows's official facility record checked 2026-10-16 does not publish a food-storage method; confirm the posted rule with Inyo National Forest.
- Fire and stove use
- Grays Meadows's official facility record states: Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed.
- Pets
- Dogs are allowed in developed Forest Service recreation sites when restrained, crated or caged, or on a leash no longer than six feet. Posted site restrictions still apply.
Inventory window
Recreation.gov publishes a rolling booking window. The dates below are the official snapshot captured for this catalog build.
- Currently bookable through
- Oct 24, 2026
- Next release
- Oct 23, 2026, 7:00 AM PDT
- Next book-through date
- Apr 23, 2027
- Group sites bookable through
- Oct 18, 2027
Published seasons & rates
| Season | Site type | Nightly rate | Additional person | Deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak SeasonApr 24, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026 | Management | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 24, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026 | Management | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 24, 2026 – Oct 24, 2026 | Standard Non-Electric | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 23, 2027 – Oct 23, 2027 | Management | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 23, 2027 – Oct 23, 2027 | Management | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 23, 2027 – Oct 23, 2027 | Standard Non-Electric | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 21, 2028 – Oct 21, 2028 | Management | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 21, 2028 – Oct 21, 2028 | Management | $34 | — | — |
| Peak SeasonApr 21, 2028 – Oct 21, 2028 | Standard Non-Electric | $34 | — | — |
Important facility notices
Read these with current closure and fire notices before departure.
- Be bear aware; keep all food out of site in approved containers and remove all food from area after eating; do not leave food in car; always keep a clean camp and do not feed any wild animals; campground is patrolled at night by security teams during periods of high bear activity
- Two pets per site and leashed at all times.
- Please Note: One RV with tow vehicle per single site or one vehicle per tent site. One vehicle per single site is included with your reservation. Most sites can accommodate 1 extra vehicle that is not included with the reservation fee. Extra vehicle will be charged a per night fee and collected at the campground if you did not pay for an Extra Vehicle Add On. Extra vehicles must fit on the parking spur at the site.
- Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed.
- Reserved Sites will be held until check out time (NOON) the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.
- Don't Move Firewood: Protect California's forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. For more information visit firewood.ca.gov.
- Click here for more information about Inyo National Forest
Getting there & contact
Official directions
Grays Meadows is 6 miles west of the town of Independence, California. Take U.S. Highway 395 to Independence. Turn west on Market Street (which turns into Onion Valley Road) and follow for 6 miles. The first gate accesses sites 36-52. The second gate is 0.25 miles up the road and accesses sites 1-35. Campground manager is at site 7.
Facility contact
760-937-6070