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dragon1 · 17 Nov 2002, 01:53 AM

Mariposa, California

The town's name is Spanish for "butterfly". Located in the Sierra Nevada foothills at around the 2000 feet elevation, it is one of the gateway towns to Yosemite National Park on Highway 140 and one of the many Gold Rush towns on Highway 49.

It was originally part of the territory of the Miwok tribe. Spanish explorers traveling up from Mexico "discovered" this area and named it "Arroyo de las Mariposas" after seeing swarms of butterflies along a meandering stream in a valley, which is what it translates to. Eventually, the name shortened to Mariposa.

Its proximity to the "Wild and Scenic" portion of the nearby Merced River makes the town a good place to stay before tackling the Class 4/5 whitewaters of the river - to all you whitewater rafters and kayakers. Fishing for trout is good, too.

17 Nov 2002, 01:53 AM	#13
dragon1 Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: California Posts: 674	Mariposa, California The town's name is Spanish for "butterfly". Located in the Sierra Nevada foothills at around the 2000 feet elevation, it is one of the gateway towns to Yosemite National Park on Highway 140 and one of the many Gold Rush towns on Highway 49. It was originally part of the territory of the Miwok tribe. Spanish explorers traveling up from Mexico "discovered" this area and named it "Arroyo de las Mariposas" after seeing swarms of butterflies along a meandering stream in a valley, which is what it translates to. Eventually, the name shortened to Mariposa. Its proximity to the "Wild and Scenic" portion of the nearby Merced River makes the town a good place to stay before tackling the Class 4/5 whitewaters of the river - to all you whitewater rafters and kayakers. Fishing for trout is good, too.