Yosemite / Mariposa Tourism Bureau

Visitors come from around the world to experience this awesome place.

Many, of course, think of Yosemite Valley, inspired by images of Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and other icons of "the incomparable valley." Especially for those whose travel plans call for "Yosemite in a day", the Valley is the destination. Other popular destinations include Wawona and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, Badger Pass and Glacier Point, Crane Flat and the Tuolumne and Merced Groves, Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Meadows, Tioga Road and Tioga Pass. Beside all these well known places, 94% of Yosemite’s 1,170 square miles is designated wilderness area, much of it high country.

Mariposa County is called “The Home of Yosemite” because over one quarter of the county is comprised of Yosemite National Park (including Forest Service and BLM holdings, 57% of Mariposa is federal land). Put another way, one third of Yosemite’s area lies within Mariposa County. Thus it is quite literally true that Yosemite is our back yard – or maybe we should call it our front yard, since it is where so many visitors come first.

This web site is dedicated to helping you gather the information you need for a memorable journey to Yosemite, and also to encourage you to explore the rest of Mariposa County, both as a home base from which to appreciate the Park, and as a delightful setting for other outdoor experiences.