Cycling Onion Valley Road, California

Onion Valley Road in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains is a well-known trail for bicyclists. The road is well-paved and winds in and out of the mountains along the way to the Onion Valley Campground at the trailhead. The road is tough, so experience bicycling inclines is a must.

  1. Location

    • Onion Valley Road stretches for approximately 13 miles between the town of Independence, California and the Onion Valley Campground in Inyo County, California. The road goes from the valley to the top of the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Onion Valley Road is in a rather remote part of California, so there is very little traffic to impede the ride along the well-paved road as well as undisturbed mountain scenery.

    Difficulty

    • Onion Valley Road is a difficult climbing road. The journey is uphill the entire 13 miles at a steady 8-percent incline. The elevation of Independence is about 3,900 feet with the end point at the Onion Valley Trailhead having an elevation of about 9,200 feet, meaning that you ascend about 5,300 feet during of the ride. Besides the difficulty of the steady incline, the high altitude raises the cycling difficulty with the air thinning as you get higher. Once you get to the top, however, the way back is entirely downhill.

    Onion Valley Trailhead

    • The way up the mountain is full of beautiful scenery as you zigzag in and out of the mountaintops. The trailhead itself is not as spectacular, offering few amenities or sights without venturing onto the trails. If you are staying at the campground, trailers are not recommended, so you must be comfortable with tents. Campground reservations also need to be made at least four days ahead of time, so deciding to stay at the campground on impulse after you get to Independence is not an option.

    After You Cycle

    • Bring a pair of walking shoes to fully enjoy Onion Valley after you've spent the effort biking to the trailhead. There are multiple hiking trails at the campground leading to lakes and waterfalls. Most of the hikes are short day trips. Once you get to the lakes, fishing is allowed for those who like to catch their own dinner. There are occasional bears in the area so be alert. In the spring and summer, the wildflowers are blooming, adding more color to the beautiful scenery.