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Major city · United States

Mariposa

Stay 1 night in Mariposa only if Yosemite Valley lodging is full or over budget: it is about 1 h by car from the valley floor.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (heat and park crowds), Dec–Feb (snow chains on 140)
Airports
RMY · FAT · MCE
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Mariposa is a Gold Rush county seat on Highway 140 and the last town of any size before Yosemite's west entrance. Its motels cost less than in-park lodging, but you pay for it in a roughly one-hour drive each way. Come for one night, a mining museum and a burger, not as a sightseeing base in its own right.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Mariposa, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–5
  • Sit-down mealSteak dinner$30–50
  • BeerDraught beer$7–9
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry$4–5
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$150
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room, a night, per roomUS$150
  • High-end bedMotel double room, a night, per roomUS$260

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$70 · Mid US$140 · High US$260

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Gold Rush county seat on Highway 140Cheap beds for Yosemite tripsCalifornia State Mining and Mineral MuseumMariposa Museum & History Center
Airports
RMY Mariposa-Yosemite Airport (General aviation only; no scheduled airline service.) · FAT Fresno Yosemite International (About 1 h 30 min by car via Highway 41 and 49 (check).) · MCE Merced Regional (Small field; Merced is the Amtrak and YARTS transfer point, about 45 min by bus.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Mariposa: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

12°C

1°C

8 rd

Feb

14°C

2°C

8 rd

Mar

17°C

3°C

8 rd

Apr

20°C

5°C

5 rd

May

25°C

9°C

3 rd

Jun

30°C

13°C

1 rd

Jul

34°C

16°C

1 rd

Aug

34°C

16°C

1 rd

Sep

31°C

13°C

2 rd

Oct

25°C

9°C

4 rd

Nov

17°C

4°C

6 rd

Dec

12°C

1°C

8 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk the commercial strip: it runs about 10 blocks along Highway 140. Everything else — the mining museum, trailheads, Yosemite — needs a car. YARTS buses on Highway 140 stop in town mid-May to late September and include park entry in the fare.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Yosemite Valleygo

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Drive Highway 140 east through the canyon to the Arch Rock entrance

Leave by 7am in summer; parking on the valley floor fills early.

El Portal

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Highway 140 east, about 30 min

Closer beds to the park gate if Mariposa is full.

Fish Camp

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Highway 49 south then Highway 41 north, about 1 h 15 min

Useful only for the south entrance and Mariposa Grove.

Coulterville

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Highway 49 north, about 30 min

Small Gold Rush main street; pair with a 49 drive.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Central Yosemite Highway (Route 140) strip

Motels, diners and the museum cluster along about 10 blocks; walkable once parked.

Jessie Street and 5th–6th Street

Historic inn and saloon side streets, a 2–5 min walk from the highway.

Highway 49 south toward the fairgrounds

Mining museum and fairground area, about 1.8 mi (3 km) south of the centre; car needed.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–110 excl. bed
Mid
$120–200 excl. bed
High
$220+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room1 × 1 night × US$150US$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$140US$280
YARTS Highway 140 fare (includes park entry)2 × US$20 · checkUS$40
Yosemite park entry, 7-day vehicle pass1 × US$35 · checkUS$35
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$20US$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$55
Trip total≈ US$300 per person per day, bed includedUS$600

2026 estimate in US dollars; park entry and fuel extra. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–5
Burger and fries at a diner$14–20
Steak dinner$30–50
Draught beer$7–9
Motel room, summer weekend$150–260
Gasoline, per US gallon$4.50–5.50 (check)
Museum entry$4–5

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

A small, quiet county town; the real risks are the Highway 140 canyon drive, winter ice, summer heat and wildlife on the road at dusk.
  • Highway 140 closes or needs chains in winter storms: check road conditions before driving to Yosemite.
  • Yosemite entry in peak season needs a timed reservation at times: check the park's official site before you book a bed here.
  • Cell coverage is patchy on the canyon stretch of 140 east of town.
  • Summer afternoons reach the high 30s °C; carry water.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Mariposa County Sheriff (non-emergency)
209-966-3615
Yosemite road and park conditions
209-372-0200

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MariposaMariposa

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Sheriff non-emergency209-966-3615

Embassy

No consulates here; nearest are in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • YARTS Merced → Mariposa: about 45 min, fare includes Yosemite entry (check)
  • Mariposa → Yosemite Valley by car: about 1 h, 40 mi (64 km)
  • Mariposa → San Francisco by car: about 3 h via Highway 140 and Interstate 5

Say or show

  • Where is the trailhead? — Where is the trailhead?
  • Is the road open? — Is the road open?
  • One night, please — One night, please
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • How far to Yosemite Valley? — How far to Yosemite Valley?

Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Mariposa. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (heat and park crowds), Dec–Feb (snow chains on 140) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for FAT and MCE: last-mile drive times, YARTS season window, winter chain rules.
  2. Walking cluster on Highway 140 with verified museum and diner hours.
  3. Place pages for the mining museum and history centre with current entry fees and seasonal hours.
  4. Yosemite gate and reservation fixtures so the base-or-skip call can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources