Onion Valley to Kearsarge Pass Road — Inyo Mountains Eastern Sierra Approach

Out of the baking Owens Valley floor near Independence, Onion Valley Road claws its way up the eastern face of the Sierra Nevada in a series of tight switchbacks and exposed shelf sections with nothing but air between your tires and the canyon below. The pavement ends and the gravel begins in earnest above 7,000 feet, where the road narrows and loose granite rubble tests your line selection all the way to the Onion Valley trailhead parking area at 9,200 feet. The views east across the Owens Valley to the White Mountains are the kind that make you pull over just to stare.

A stock 4WD with decent clearance handles this in good conditions, but the exposed shelf road demands focus — no room for distraction or sloppy steering. Trailers are a bad idea above the first switchback series. The road is typically open June through October depending on snowpack; check with Inyo National Forest before you commit. No permit is needed to drive up, but the John Muir Wilderness trailhead above requires a permit for overnight travel. Fuel in Independence before you go — there’s nothing up top. Dispersed camping is not available at the trailhead, but established campgrounds exist partway up.