Mariposa is the Gold Rush town at the foot of the road to Yosemite, and it wears the history lightly. It sits in the Sierra foothills, in country of oak, grass and rocky ridges that turn gold in summer, along Highway 49, the road named for the forty-niners who flooded into California after gold turned up in 1848. The little town has a main street of wooden verandas, a few antique stores and restaurants, and a courthouse built in 1854 that is said to be the oldest in continuous use west of the Mississippi.
Mariposa has a larger place in history than its size suggests. John C. Frémont, the explorer and later presidential candidate, bought a large estate here in 1847, and found gold on it. Later, Mariposa was a gateway for those who first visited Yosemite Valley in the 1850s, and the state's mining museum, set up in the town, holds an impressive collection of minerals and gold specimens, including some enormous crystals. The surrounding hills are honeycombed with old mines and diggings.
The road to Yosemite, Highway 140, runs through the Merced River canyon, a twisting ride between steep slopes, with the river rushing beside you. It is a fine road, well surfaced and fun, though it carries heavy summer traffic, and rockfalls have closed it from time to time. Further up, the road enters the park at Arch Rock, with granite walls rising on both sides. It is wise to start early, especially in summer, when the park entrance can have long queues, and in winter, when snow can close the high roads and chains may be required.
Summer in the foothills is hot, often well over thirty-five degrees Celsius, so the air feels like a hairdryer on a bike, but the high country is cooler. The best times are spring, when the hills are green and the wildflowers are out, and autumn. Fire season can bring smoke and road closures, and it has to be taken seriously.
Mariposa is a proper town, with fuel stations, supermarkets and a number of restaurants and cafes, and it is the last place with real choice before the park. Midpines, a few kilometres up the road, has a few services. Fill up here, buy water and snacks, and make use of the stop before you head into the mountains.