Yosemite / Mariposa Tourism Bureau

Mariposa, "the Mother of Counties", initially encompassed one fifth of the state of California. As the land filled with settlers, boundaries were redrawn until twelve present day counties emerged from the vast area. Today, Mariposa County's legacy from these origins includes an incredible range of landscapes and a heritage of historic sites and towns.

This range of scenery, outdoor attractions,  rich history, combined with a generally sunny, moderate climate, make Mariposa County one of California's most popular year-round vacation destinations.

Yosemite's grandeur always looms as a major attraction, but we encourage you to enjoy the many other faces of Mariposa County. You can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities or see one hundred fifty years of California history, without crowds and without traffic.

For details on bicycling, rafting, hiking, birding and many other pastimes, see our Where to Play section. There is so much to say about Mariposa's historic heritage, we have created a separate History section just to deal with it. Meanwhile, this section presents more detailed descriptions of the scenes and activities you will find in various locales of our beautiful county.