Independence to Onion Valley - Straightforward?

[EpicSteve]

I'll be doing a trans-Sierra hike in a couple of weeks and I need to leave directions for my wife to pick me up at the Kearsarge Pass/Onion Valley trailhead. I've only been there once and it was many years ago.

On the maps I've seen, it appears to be fairly straightforward, except for one potentially confusing little intersection of loops towards the end of the road, where the road appears to split off into three different directions.

Is it well-signed, so that my wife can easily find the Kearsarge Pass trailhead to meet me?

[Turtleggjp]

I would just tell her to park in the big dirt lot that you first come to (it kinda looks like an onion from high up on the trails). The hardest part I'd say is finding the right street to take out of the town of Independence (Market Street). If she can get on the right road, the rest is easy. There is basically the big dirt lot where the backpackers park, a few more spots that are usually full, and then the campground. I'd just tell her to park wherever she can, and you should be able to find her without too much searching.

Matt

[EpicSteve]

Thank you, Matt. I appreciate it!

[tomcat_rc]

I would just tell her to park in the big dirt lot that you first come to (it kinda looks like an onion from high up on the trails). The hardest part I'd say is finding the right street to take out of the town of Independence (Market Street). If she can get on the right road, the rest is easy. There is basically the big dirt lot where the backpackers park, a few more spots that are usually full, and then the campground. I'd just tell her to park wherever she can, and you should be able to find her without too much searching.

Matt

Turn left at the post office in Independence - it is easy to distinguish with it's red-white-blue paint scheme.

[bheiser1]

...and here's a picture of the intersection in Independence

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 79,,0,4.88

It appears West Market St (by the PO) turns into Onion Valley Rd.

The trailhead sign:

and here's what the trailhead/campground area looks like from above, with the road from Independence coming in from the left. The trailhead is on the right as you drive up the road. The campground is on the left.

Onion Valley Trailhead 2.jpg (91.81 KiB) Viewed 156 times