Stretching from the oak-dotted foothills north of Fresno to the world-famous landmarks of Yosemite, Mariposa County is one of California’s largest counties—yet it has no incorporated cities and no permanent traffic lights. Only 17,000 people live in its rural hamlets dotted along curvy backroads or in the history-rich county seat, also called Mariposa. But this pastoral region has a convivial side too. Mariposa County grants a warm and hearty welcome to millions of visitors who play, eat, and sleep here on their travels to Yosemite National Park.
Where to Play Outdoors in Mariposa County
Yosemite is a mecca for hikers, photographers, rock climbers, and scenery lovers of every ilk. Hundreds of miles of trails lead to cascading waterfalls, sculpted granite peaks, riverside meadows, and mind-boggling vistas. While hiking is a mainstay, recreationists have multiple options: Rent bikes and pedal around Yosemite Valley’s 12-plus miles of paved trails. Learn new skills in a rock-climbing class. Drive Glacier Point Road to snap photos of Yosemite’s astounding vistas, then walk among giant sequoias in the Mariposa Grove. In the winter, you can even ski or snowboard at Badger Pass, California’s oldest ski resort.
Outside of Yosemite, there’s splashing whitewater rafting on the designated Wild and Scenic stretch of the Merced River near Midpines. Local outfitters OARS, Zephyr Whitewater, Whitewater Excitement, and ARTA guide half- and full-day trips on the river’s Class 3–4 rapids. By midsummer, the Merced River’s froth mellows to a gentle flow, and river lovers switch to trout fishing and swimming.
Near Coulterville on the county’s northwestern side, Lake McClure and Lake McSwain deliver warm-water fun. Lake McClure wins for waterskiing, wakeboarding, and houseboating. Smaller Lake McSwain is home to Splash-n-Dash Aqua Park, North America’s largest floating waterpark, where you can test your skills on an inflatable obstacle course. At both lakes, marinas rent boats and water toys, and campgrounds and rental cabins are available for overnight stays.
Discovery Gold Rush History in Mariposa County
Mariposa County is much more than a stopover—you could easily devote an entire trip to exploring its museums and crossroads. Start in Coulterville, a major gold mining and supply center in the mid-1800s, a key stop on the first fully paved route to Yosemite, and now a California State Historic Landmark. Visit the Northern Mariposa County History Center, situated inside the brick 1856 Wells Fargo office, then wander the town’s few blocks and read the historical markers on the Sun Sun Wo Mercantile Building, the pioneer cemetery, and the Jeffery Hotel—its 30-inch-thick rock walls date to 1851.
Take a drive to Hornitos, a not-quite ghost town (40 people still live there) and also a California State Historic Landmark. Hornitos’ adobe and stone buildings look much as they did in the 1850s, when the town was home to 10,000 miners, merchants, and fortune-seekers. The outlaw Joaquin Murietta frequented its fandango halls, saloons, and gambling dens, and Domingo Ghirardelli sold his sweets at the town’s general store. (Later he moved to San Francisco to launch the Ghirardelli Chocolate empire.)
To learn more about the Gold Rush era, head to the town of Mariposa and the California State Mining and Mineral Museum. Admire the 13.8-pound Fricot Nugget, an intricately webbed chunk of crystallized gold, and learn about the process of mining gold by walking through a replica mine shaft and surveying a replica stamp mill, a machine used to extract gold. The Mariposa Museum & History Center interprets the stories of Mariposa’s pioneering families, Native Americans, Gold Rush miners, and early Yosemite tourists. Shelves and cabinets are jammed with letters, photographs, newspaper excerpts, quilts, tools, and knickknacks dating to 1800.
A slice of Yosemite’s more modern history is interpreted at Mariposa’s Yosemite Climbing Museum, which houses more than 10,000 artifacts, photographs, and journals in a tribute to Yosemite’s rock-climbing pioneers. See 1960s “stove leg” pitons that climbers forged by hand, gear from the first ascent of El Capitan’s “The Nose” in 1958, and original photos taken by legendary climber Glen Denny.
Where to Eat and Drink in Mariposa County
Bustling Mariposa has the county’s greatest concentration of food and drink offerings. Happy Burger Diner boasts “the largest menu in the Sierra,” an eight-pager overflowing with burgers, grilled sandwiches, and cozy-comfy diner food. (Check out the ceiling covered in LPs from the 1970s.) Neighboring 1850 Restaurant and Brewery serves pub fare—pastas, salads, burgers, and wings—alongside flagship IPAs, blonde ales, and stouts. Fredrick’s of Savourys dishes up New York steak, rack of lamb, and chicken marsala in a chic bistro setting, and Happy Goat Farm to Table serves refined breakfasts in a revamped midcentury diner. Mariposa also has great Mexican fare at Castillo’s and Don Ruben’s. For nightlife, head to the historic Hideout Saloon, a late-night spot for live music and strong cocktails.
On the county’s northern edge in the hamlet of Buck Meadows, Tangled Hearts Bakery makes perfect breakfast burritos and huge egg scrambles. The Lucky Buck Café is famous for biscuits and gravy, patty melts, and milkshakes. Fish Camp in southern Mariposa boasts delicious burgers and deli sandwiches at the Fish Camp General Store, locally and organically sourced meals at Tenaya at Yosemite’s Jackalope’s Bar & Grill, and cozy dining in a mountain-lodge setting at Narrow Gauge Inn Restaurant. In Coulterville, The Copperpot Cafe serves hearty omelets and corned beef hash for breakfast and comfort-food favorites like cheesesteaks and French dips for lunch. The Coulter Café cooks up breakfast sandwiches, burrito bowls, grass-fed beef burgers, and live music on Saturdays.
Where to Stay in Mariposa County
Mariposa County’s lodgings range from in-town motels to oak-shaded luxury compounds. Fish Camp’s Tenaya at Yosemite is a massive lodge and cabin complex on 35 acres near Yosemite’s southern entrance. On the county’s northern edge, the Blackberry Inn charms with modern B&B-style rooms in the rural setting of Buck Meadows. Wildhaven in Mariposa has canvas safari-style tents and newly constructed wood cabins with big windows and skylights. In Midpines, AutoCamp’s posh, contemporary trailer park rents 80 shiny Airstreams and 15 upscale glamping tents with queen beds, organic linens, private patios, and firepits. Neighboring Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort’s 50-acre campus looks and feels like a woodsy summer camp. “The Bug” has a huge array of cabins, yurts, and motel-style rooms, plus a spa and café.
