Very clean and nice campground... the hosts are good people who work hard. The creek is also good for fishing..a couple of fishermen took out 3-4 nice trout from the creek read more

Grays Meadow Campground - Our campsite #14 by the creek - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

Nice campground, close to Onion Valley for hiking. Higher elevation so a good amount cooler than Independence in the summer.

We were hoping to go to Onion Valley Campground but the road was closed. So we stayed at Lower Gray's Meadows Campground. We were lucky that it was open because most of the campgrounds were closed. It was nice that one of the bathrooms were open for the season and there were no fees. No trash service, and no water during time of the season. It was a wonderful scene to see the mountains with snow in the background. We were the only ones there and the sites are close to each other but not too close. We stayed at site 41. There was a fire pit with a grill that you can flip on or off, a table, and a stove that I have never seen before when I went camping. From our site you could walk down about 20 yards to the creek . It would have been great if we were there during the season when trout would be in the creek. There basically were no bugs or mosquitoes or bees. In the early morning there were just a few bugs. During the daytime the temperature was around 40s to '50s. But at night it did drop down to the 20s. As long as you have your fire pit and am dressed warmly and you will be fine. However, having the annex attached to our rooftop tent was very beneficial to block any wind and keep the cold out. We did not bring our buddy heater for the tent, but that would have been very nice to turn it on for a few minutes in the morning to warm up the tent before heading down. read more

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We rolled in after 10pm on an almost moonless night. There were a million stars in the sky, but no lights in the campground or bathrooms. Very narrow roads and small parking spots. In several places I could touch the trees from my passenger seat. Many sites will only accommodate one vehicle. Ok, we drive a very large tundra so if you have a Subaru you can probably fit more than one car... The best part of this campground is the stream running through it. It was right across from our site and the sound of running water lulled us to sleep every night. It masks the sound of other campers, making our trip one of the best yet. We came up so my husband could fish but he got skunked. The locals said it was the best place to fish but no one in the campground caught anything during our stay. The very dark bathrooms were also very clean. The camp hosts were friendly and had a few tips about local places to visit. There are showers in town, and lots of interesting places to visit nearby like Manzanar and the Alabama Hills. This campground is a must see! read more

Site 33. Beautiful campground with amazing views and a wide variety of sites. Not suitable for large RVs, but a few sites could hold small ones. Lots of first come, first served sites. Actually saw fish in the creek! The only downside is that there was no host on site. Not a problem for me, but websites tell you to buy wood where you burn it. Websites even said you could buy wood there. There was wood there, but no one to buy it from. Not the first time I've seen this, so if you can, bring enough wood for at least one night. read more

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I could start this review with how beautiful and how shady the sites are and the stream but I'm not.. I want to mention the two incredible people that are there who are the hosts of the campgrounds.. Al and Johnnell.. That couple is the most friendliest good natured people.. They always greet you with a smile and a wave and are always making sure that you're okay or if you need firewood. They'll even bring it to you on their next round of campground checks or you can buy from their camp site in Upper Grays.. They are always making sure the restrooms are super clean and stocked with paper and they keep the campgrounds just as clean.. My family and I have been going up to Grays Meadows for the past 30+ years since I was a kid and now I take my kids and hopefully they will take their kids too.. We continue to visit this campground not only for the beauty it provides and the tranquility you get from being there but also because of hosts like Al and Johnnell.. I would love to see their faces again when we go back next year.. Hopefully and God willing we will.. read more

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Stayed at Upper Grays Meadows for a 3 day weekend. Very nice. The camp hosts were very friendly, the vault toilets were clean, well stocked with toilet paper, and fresh smelling. Our site looked like it had been raked before we got there. The area is beautiful and the sites were exactly how they were described on the website. Ours was partly shaded which saved our tent during the rain. I would have given 5 stars, but we were at site 17. The fire pit is located right next to the road, and we had to put our 14x8 foot tent into the driveway because there was no room in the site itself. However, we did drive around and found 2 sites that will accommodate our tent for our next trip read more

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Super campground with access to the Onion Valley, Kearsarge Pass and the lakes up there. The campground has great sites and is very well maintained! Must give a hats off and kudos to the hosts, Daisy and Jason. They take great care of the entire campground. They maintain the property. I have never been to a campground with better maintained restrooms. So, thanks o much to you two!! read more

This is a nice and different place where we normally camp. You can totally see different views of the mountain. A few different things from Reserve America.. 1. There is no flush toilets, just vaulted toilet.. But it sure was the cleanest vaulted toilet I've ever been too and we came during summer.. 2. The longitude and latitude is a little off even GoogleMaps is off, once you make the left turn on Market... Remember just to go straight 6 more miles! Definitely get campsite 10 and 11 has shade and across from the creek. 13 is pretty good but less shade. They stock their creek.. We caught 8 trouts!!' So bring your fishing pole and make sure you know how to clean a fish so you can eat it right away! :) read more

Great little campground with firewood for sale $7, clean creek, clean vault toilet restrooms, no sinks. We stayed at site 13, water was at site 12. Restrooms were at site 6. A bit of a walk on an incline. There were also restrooms near entrance to campground. There was shade but having an easy-up helps a lot. The wind picks up very hard at night, so hardly anyone made a fire. It wasn't very cold at night anyway. We slept just fine without rain cover on. We spotted a medium size light colored bear on the other side of the creek in the morning. It ran off on the other side of a hill as we shouted with excitement to point it out. There were red ants that only came out at night and a few wasps during the day. Our site had enough room for a 6 person tent and a small backpacking 4 person tent. Most sites are on the small side. There were 1-2 bars of cell reception with AT&T near restrooms at site 6. I had 2 bars of T-Mobile cell reception at Deli Market/Chevron in Independence. Kids were able to cool off in creek wearing water shoes. If it gets too hot, you could even drive up a little more to Onion Valley. Trails, ample parking up there and great views. read more

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The campground itself is great. We stayed in Upper Grays Meadow and it was beautiful and the fishing was excellent. The vault toilets are very clean, and there are bear boxes. My less than stellar review however comes from our hosts. Although they kept the toilets clean they smoked marijuana constantly the three days we were there. Yeah I know, it's legal here now but come on- not while you are supposed to be working, and please keep the stench to yourselves! They were smoking dope at 630 am, 1030 am, 2 pm, 5 pm, 8 pm, and I had the misfortune of having my young children in the site next to them. It was disgusting. The campground hosts were NOT the same ones given rave reviews by other campers. Nearly ruined the trip. read more

This is a great place to escape the busy life of the city, if you're willing to drive about 4 hours north of Los Angeles. The campgrounds are clean, the bathrooms are in great condition (I was expecting something horrible, but they are actually clean, don't smell at all, and provide you with toilet paper), and have firewood available for sale from the camp director. The camp site is divided between lower and upper Grays Meadow. My group of friends and I stayed at the upper campsite. The upper campsite seemed to have almost two types of geography. You can get a campsite that is fully exposed with no trees around you, but the wind is going to get you at those campsites, or there are those that are closer to the river that are surrounded by trees and give you a little shelter away from the high winds that seemed to kick up in the evenings while we were staying there. You're only a 10-15 minute drive up Onion Valley Road to get up to the actual Onion Valley Campsite, which is also where you can park to go through the mountain trails that lead to waterfalls, lakes, and much much more. A super scenic area of the Inyo National Forest that I didn't even know existed until my recent stay there. I will definitely be coming back to camp here because it was too perfect to not want to come back to! read more

AWESOME!!! It is amazing how tidy this campground is. The camp hosts do an excellent job here. Cleanest pit toilet bathrooms I have EVER seen. And the campsite was raked clean before we arrived, an unexpected welcome! The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because of the "potable" water... We filled up a few small water bottles and it was great. But when I filled up our large water jug (opening the valve all the way) it stirred up the rusty pipes and came out dark orange.... We drove back into town and bought bottled water for drinking. However, the campground host insisted the water was tested weekly and is good, and I believed them, we didn't want to drink orange water... The host was very helpful though, suggesting a different water post that was used more frequently. We will definitely be back to this camp site!! But next time we'll bring our own water! read more

Stayed in spot 19. It's unique because of all the stairs. Makes loading and unloading more work. The spot has early morning shade only. The stairs create a nice wind break. It was sunny and mid 90s in the early evening, June 20. Saw two snakes within 20 minutes. A rattlesnake and a gopher snake. Fishing was good. read more

Grays Meadow Campground - Spot 19. Upper Gray's Meadow Only spot with crazy steps. - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

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This is a great campground! Quick access to a stream to cool yourself off. Ass Rick from Venice stated, do your homework. You can use www.campsitephotos.com/ to view each site and see if it is what you are looking for. I had my wife and two kids there and this place was fantastic. Easy access to Onion Valley at the end of the road. From there you can hike up to Kearsarge Pass. We were here in early October and we loved it! Remember to look at the stars once the sun is gone, breathtaking! read more

Grays Meadow Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

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Loved this place. At 6000 feet. Great weather and caught a few fish. Many sites right on the stream. Will be back. read more

Grays Meadow Campground - Dog loves the water at grays meadow. - Campgrounds Near Me - Independence, California

One of our favorite campgrounds. The hosts are so friendly and helpful. The restrooms are spic and span. There's a river you can fish. Didn't get any better read more

Just visited for the first time, usually go north. Many family members gathered there. Most of our neighbors have come for years to Grays... I'll return first chance I get. Well worth its value... well cared for. The Husband/wife hosts made a difference. Conversational, helpful, knew the local area, well suited as hosts. Was there in July, spaces were available. Right on with the toilets, had no idea they could be so nice. read more

Great spot. Beautiful meadows. Some sites with good privacy. Do your homework though -- some spots are heavily shaded under trees and others are exposed in the meadows. Will definitely impact temperature depending on the time of the year. Good access to Onion Valley for hikes and in my opinion a better place to stay at a lower elevation and equally good views. read more

I was a kid when I first went,now as a grandfather I took my grandkids,no cell phones,and I loved it,just as beautiful as I remembered,no tagging,or bullshit,just peaceful and beautiful.hope it stays that way! read more

Totally agree with review by Rick. Recommend shaded spots because they're also more protected from the wind, of which there was a lot when I went mid-May. From the site you can drive up to Onion Valley and hike to a waterfall or alpine lakes. If you're not the adventurous type you can kick it at the campsite which has pretty views of the mountains and a babbling brook to hang out at. One of the guys in our group killed a fish at the creek using a rock and we ate it with dinner. The camp host is friendly, firewood for sale and the cleanest vault toilets that I have ever encountered in my life. read more

Nice campground with the basics. Site 44 large and shaded next to a rushing mountain stream. Campground hosts are very nice and helpful.

My 2 sons and 2 other friends stayed at this campground this month. The sites were clean and well maintained by the camp hosts. Bathrooms were as well. The site is conveniently located to hikes, fishing spots, and town. Independence creek was really flowing right next to our site. Great hosts, great site would def stay again. read more

I stay at camp grounds and RV resorts throughout California, and have for many years, but have never visited a better maintained facility than Grays Meadows in August, 2017. All of the vault toilets were spotless and odor free but even more impressive all fire rings were empty and all grills had been wire brushed and ready for immediate use. The camp host (a couple) were accommodating and helpful in all ways. While, as a hiker, I would have preferred to stay at a higher elevation than the 6,000' of Grays Meadows was very happy that I spent several delightful days here. Cannot recommend this campground more highly. read more

A great campground up the road from the city of Independence, CA. Lower Meadows also has really great fishing towards the walk-in tent only sites with pools of slow flowing water with trout visible. It's a great place to camp before heading out to the Kearsarge Pass or any hike in the area. The campground is very well maintained with workers constantly going from campground to campground making sure every guest has a great experience. read more

Super friendly camp host and the cleanest restrooms in the valley. Defiantly A+ and coming back as soon as possible be for the snow.

Just got back from a 1-night stay at Grays Meadow (the upper one). Really just want to confirm what others have already stated. The bathrooms (pit toilets) were pristine, which is unprecedented in my experience. As you enter the campground, you have a choice of left or right. Sites on the left are more shady. Lots of decidous trees. Some sites right on the creek. Sites on the right are more open with fewer trees and more of the scrub brush that is common to the area. I chose site 35, which was sort of along the line of demarcation between the two sides, but if you had to place it, you'd say it was the right side. I was the only one on that side on Saturday night, so it was nice and quiet. The bathroom was conveniently located to my site, to the creek, and to a couple of pine trees with the sort of huge pine cones you don't see in other parts of the world. I could hear the creek. Didn't see any bears or snakes although there are bear boxes, which I used, and signs to watch for snakes. Site 35 is sort of huddled in a brushy area, so it offered some repreive from the wind. Before settling on Grays Meadow, I drove to the top to look at Onion Valley Campground. There were a few sites that were not completely snow covered, but that particular campground was closed. No signs, pay envelopes or bathrooms. Their page says it should be open, but it looks like it is still closed for winter. I didn't want to stay without permission, so I went back downt to Grays Meadow. I'm glad of how it worked out. Elevation at Grays is a bit lower, so the air is thicker, and the amount of space per camper is a bit more generous. read more