For the finest rooms, resort homes and RV park nearest Yosemite Valley, click on any of the four Yosemite Resorts properties in the left column. From luxury to economy, they're four great places to stay!

“Rat-ta-ta-ta-ta, rat-ta-ta-ta-ta” people would hear as they approached Mariposa during the California Gold Rush, it was the distinctive sound of a five stamp mill than ran day and night crushing quartz ore to capture gold. Travelers would know what town they were approaching by the sound of its mill. It’s said that when the stamp mill was finally turned off, Mariposa residents couldn’t stand the silence.

This interesting bit of history can be seen operating at the Mariposa Museum and History Center on Jessie St. in Mariposa. It’s the only operational 5-stamp mill in California. The Smithsonian called this museum one of the best small museums in America. Gold panning is demonstrated and taught for $6.00 adult/ $3 child, and you can keep whatever gold you find. Dioramas inside the museum show how various merchant stores, homes and professions would have looked in Mariposa’s past. Indian lodges, a miner’s tent and exhibits representing various periods in Mariposa’s history are entertaining and informative.

Visiting the Mariposa History Center is a fun and inexpensive stop on the way to or from Yosemite National Park. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through October.  Admission is $3 for adults and free for kids. The Best Western Yosemite Way Station.is within walking distance along the Mariposa Creek Trail.

For the finest rooms, resort homes and RV park nearest Yosemite Valley, click on any of the four Yosemite Resorts properties in the left column. From luxury to economy, they're four great places to stay!

At the confluence of the middle and south forks of the Merced River is the site of Major James Savage’s legendary 1849 trading post. Savage was the leader of the Mariposa Batallion, the first group of non-Indians to enter Yosemite Valley. This authentic trading post attracted prospectors, loggers and trappers during the California gold rush.

Eight, luxurious, extended-stay vacation homes and apartments are located there. Favorites include Cliff House, the Hunters’ Retreat, the Annex, the A-Frame, the Overlook Apartments and the Log Cabin. Savage’s Trading Post accommodates from 2 to 16 in any given home. All homes have private access to the south fork of the Merced River and the Hite Cove Trail (excluding fire season). The Hite Cove Trail is considered to be one of California’s finest wildflower trails (March to May). Savage’s Trading Post is 18 minutes west of Yosemite National Park on state route 140.