With authentic California history, monumental topography, and four-season outdoor recreation, Yosemite Mariposa County is one of a kind.  This celebrated region of golden gateway towns flanking Yosemite National Park offers the perfect blend of bucket list-worthy wilderness features, thrill-seeking fun and a range of comfy accommodations.  In a single day (or better over several), you’ll discover its natural wonders and understand what it means to say “only in Yosemite Mariposa County can you…”

… Witness Titanic Geology

The mammoth aspect of Yosemite Valley offers a look back to the “land before time,” an era when the earth was being cracked open and reshaped.  Its river-and-ice carved geology is found nowhere else, and two of its most monolithic features are El Capitan and Half Dome.

El Capitan stands guard near the front of Yosemite Valley, its noble granite nose rising over 3,000 feet above the valley floor – two and a half Empire State Buildings high!  For the best views of its massive majesty, try Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall parking area, and El Capitan Meadow.  While you’re looking, try to spy a few rock climbers on El Capitan for a sense of its awesome scale (hint: they will be tiny). 

The signature countenance of Half Dome is synonymous with Yosemite National Park, as well as California tourism writ large. Half Dome’s sheared granite face rises above Yosemite Valley as one of the most well-known rocks in the world.  Half Dome is omnipresent above much of Yosemite Valley, but for the best views, check out the Mirror Lake Trail or Cook’s Meadow Trail and Sentinel Bridge. The top of Half Dome, at 8,844 feet, can be reached via a challenging and cable-assisted hike up its back side. 

… See So Many Waterfalls

Yosemite Valley’s soaring granite walls create ideal conditions for big waterfall viewing. Topping the list is Yosemite Falls, at 2,425 feet, one of the tallest waterfalls across all of North America.  There’s a short hike to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls and a longer and steeper track to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls.  Both are rewarding: great pics from the bridge at the base of Lower Yosemite Falls; eagle’s eye views from the top of Upper Yosemite Falls. The ephemeral nature of Yosemite Falls adds to its magic.  With Yosemite Creek as its source, Yosemite Falls is fed entirely by Sierra snowmelt and usually runs dry by late summer. 

For year-round flow, there’s nothing like Bridalveil Fall, the showy cascade to the right in the classic Yosemite Valley hero shot from Tunnel View.  Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall round out the big Valley flows, with both best viewed via the Mist Trail (see below).  Bonus seasonal flows spill over the Valley rim including Horsetail Fall, Illilouette Fall, Ribbon Fall (the longest single-drop waterfall in North America!), and Sentinel Falls. And, outside of Yosemite Valley, Wapama Fall in Hetch Hetchy Valley and Chilnualna Falls in Wawona are oft-overlooked gems.

… Stand ALONGSIDE Ancient Giants

In Yosemite, there are places where the awe-o-meter needle not only moves – it nearly spins off the dial! One such place is the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. These trees, Sequoiadendron giganteum, are an ancient species that thrives solely along the western slope of California’s Sierra Nevada. Tucked next to the South Entrance to Yosemite National Park, Mariposa Grove is a mammoth cluster of 500 mature giant sequoias.  The Grizzly Giant tree is one of the grove’s largest at over 200 feet tall, as well as one of the oldest at an estimated 2,700 years! 

The Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza displays this only-in-Yosemite story in beautiful detail, and also offers a gift shop, restrooms, and visitor information center.  Free shuttles depart from here up to the Mariposa Grove arrival area and a quartet of loop trails where you can walk among the giants.

… Hike through Misty Rainbows

Yosemite’s hiking trails, many first cut generations ago by the Southern Sierra Miwuk, are today meticulously maintained by the National Park Service.  Magnificent trails explore every corner of the nearly 1,200 square mile park, making this a hiker’s paradise.

While it’s hard to pick just one, perhaps Yosemite’s most renowned hike is the Mist Trail.  The path is a two-fer; the first section ascends from the Happy Isles trailhead in eastern Yosemite Valley for 1.2 miles to the top of Vernal Fall.  The trail earns its moniker in the spring when snowmelt reaches peak flow. Waves of waterfall spray (and misty waterfall rainbows) can swirl over hikers climbing the hundreds of granite steps carved adjacent to the cascade. Grippy hiking boots and waterproof shells are dress code de rigeur.  From the top of the 317-foot drop, views are woo-hoo-worthy. 

The next section of the trail continues up for 1.5 miles of steep, rocky switchbacks to the top of Nevada Fall. Thundering down nearly 600 feet, Nevada Fall peaks in late spring, a heart-thumping tour de force that must be felt to be believed.  The view from the footbridge at the top of the fall over the Merced River is position “A” for photographers. 

… See Super-Natural Views

With all the vivid frames in Yosemite, there are three specific overlooks where the views are next level:  Tunnel View, Olmsted Point, and Glacier Point. 

Tunnel View is the vista that made Ansel Adams famous.  From the turnout just outside Wawona Tunnel on Highway 41, the panorama from El Capitan to Half Dome and Bridalveil Fall delivers a perspective-bending visual punch.

Northern Yosemite’s Olmsted Point is a double-play.  Named for early national park champions Frederick Olmsted and son, the view from here offers a unique perspective on the humpback side of Half Dome.  While you’re here, check out the field of glacier-carved “erratic boulders” around the turnout.

Southern Yosemite’s Glacier Point completes the epic trilogy, a cloud-kissing overlook with commanding views of, well, just about everything.  From more than 3,200 feet above Yosemite Valley, you’ll spy Curry Village looking miniature on the valley floor, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and hundreds of miles of Yosemite’s granite peak and dome alpine wilderness. 

Note: Vehicle access to Tioga Road (Olmsted Point) and Glacier Point Road (Glacier Point) is seasonal due to winter snow.  Check road status before embarking.

… Strike Yosemite Gold

Yosemite Mariposa County may not be where the California Gold Rush began, but it certainly made its history-book claim when it arrived here in 1850.  A trio of towns – Mariposa, Hornitos, and Coulterville – offer fascinating touchstones to the Eureka-fueled days and dreams of the 49ers.

The town of Mariposa was a bustling Gold Rush hub, and today the county seat flexes that history across a number of points of interest including the Mariposa County Courthouse, the Mariposa Old Stone Jail, and the Smithsonian-recognized Mariposa Museum & History Center.  Simply walking the raised “old West” sidewalks of Main Street evokes those horse-powered days.

Part ghost town, part living museum, and all atmosphere, the tiny town of Hornitos is a worthy detour for anyone curious about Golden State history.  This is a place where an iconoclastic cross-section of Cali notables from Domingo Ghirardelli to Joaquin Murrietta ran their enterprises (some legal, some not).  Talk about outsized influence!  In “town,” the Plaza Bar is open irregularly (call ahead), but a great place to belly-up and catch some local lore.

Named for Gold Rush merchant George Coulter, Coulterville is another rich hub of historic vibes.  The Northern Mariposa County History Center displays the full story arc, complemented by nine State Historic Markers dotting the town.  The Coulter Café & General Store is a must-do with delicious fare, inviting covered flagstone deck for outdoor dining, gift shop, and visitor info center. And that’s not all; Coulterville was named the “Nicest Place in America” in a recent Reader’s Digest survey!

… Climb Rocks and Ride Rivers

Ready for action?  A pair of high-thrill adventure sports are practiced to perfection in Yosemite Mariposa County.  Visitors can book a rock climbing class with the Yosemite Mountaineering School to learn “the ropes” in half-, full-, or multiple-day sessions.  First-timers love the “Welcome to the Rock” class.

The sport’s local lore is on glorious display at the Yosemite Climbing Museum & Gallery in Mariposa.  Thousands of historic and authentic artifacts, rare photographs, and archival memorabilia are the next best thing to free-soloing El Capitan.

From spring to early summer, the Wild & Scenic Merced River lives up to its name when High Sierra snowmelt fills its banks with whitewater fury. Local outfitters will safely guide you along the best river bends and slots.  Whitewater rafting in the morning, Yosemite Valley tour that afternoon – river to rock in one day!

Basecamp Yosemite

With hundreds of miles to explore and so many exciting things to do, your “Only In Yosemite Mariposa County” getaway deserves a few extra days. Fortunately, there is a fantastic range of places to stay. From luxurious hotels and affordable motels & inns to vacation cabin rentals and campgrounds, it’s easy to find the basecamp that suits your style. Add to the mix local dining and Sierra nightlife, and take it all in with Yosemite.com as your guide.