Mariposa County’s off-beat northern towns of Coulterville, Greeley Hill, and Buck Meadows are studded with history, characters and charm. Northern Mariposa connects with the county’s hard-rock legacy via its museums, curio shops, tours and more.
Highways
- Designated John Muir Highway (J132)
- Highway 120
- Highway 140
Hubs
- Coulterville
- Greeley Hill
- Buck Meadows
- Stanislaus National Forest
See & Do
Charming Coulterville, CA is a historic Mariposa County town with a bohemian vibe. The now closed but historic Hotel Jeffery, est. 1851, entertained many famous guests including Teddy Roosevelt, Mark Twain and John Muir, when Coulterville was a primary stage stop for travelers on their way to Yosemite. Up the street, the former site of the Coulterville Hotel is today the Northern Mariposa County History Center, offering visitors a glimpse of the life and times of early California.
Chances are you’ll be hungry in Coulterville. The Coulter Café & General Store has a metro foodie menu and gorgeous flagstone, dog-delightful patio with summer live music on the menu & seasonal outdoor live entertainment.
Highway 132 provides a scenic path for Yosemite-bound travelers as it skirts Lake Don Pedro and Lake McClure. Heading northeast from Coulterville, Highway 132 officially becomes the John Muir Highway as it climbs towards Greeley Hill, offering impressive Central Valley and High Sierra vistas.
Buck Meadows sits astride Yosemite Mariposa County along Highway 120 and is the gateway to both Yosemite National Park’s Big Oak Flat Entrance and the Hetch Hetchy Valley Entrance, as well as the locale for numerous cabin rentals and the Buck Meadows Restaurant and Lodge.
Encompassing nearly 900,000 acres and bordering the western edge of Yosemite National Park, the Stanislaus National Forest is filled with soaring crests, sparkling mountain lakes, towering trees, and canyons carved by wild and scenic rivers. It’s one of the oldest national forests in America (established 1897) and a vaunted recreational area with camping, hiking, fishing, OHV trails, water play and winter sports.