Mariposa County, California in the context of "Merced, California"

Yosemite National Park (/joʊˈsɛmɪti/ yoh-SEM-ih-tee) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by the Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers 1,187 sq mi (3,070 km) in four counties – centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa, extending north and east to Mono and south to Madera. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, groves of giant sequoia, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity. Almost 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness. Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Its geology is characterized by granite and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted to form its unique slopes, which increased the steepness of stream and river beds, forming deep, narrow canyons. About one million years ago, glaciers formed at higher elevations. They moved downslope, cutting and sculpting the U-shaped Yosemite Valley.

Yosemite Creek is a 15-mile-long (24 km) creek of the Sierra Nevada, located in Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, California, United States.

Mariposa (/ˌmærɪˈpoʊzə, -sə/ ; Spanish for "Butterfly") is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Mariposa County, California, United States. The population was 1,526 at the 2020 census. Named for the monarch butterflies that overwinter there, the community's history is deeply intertwined with the California Gold Rush of the 19th century.

During the California Gold Rush, prospectors flocked to Mariposa for its rich mineral resources in streams and underground veins. Among them was John C. Frémont, Mariposa's most prominent resident, who leveraged his extensive mineral claims to achieve national prominence. He became the first U.S. senator from California and the inaugural Republican presidential candidate, significantly impacting both Mariposa and American politics during the 19th century's period of expansion.

Trinity County is a county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California. Trinity County is rugged, mountainous, heavily forested, and lies along the Trinity River (for which it is named) within the Salmon, Klamath Mountains, as well as a portion of the Scott, Trinity, and North Yolla Bolly Mountains. It is also one of three counties in California with no incorporated cities (the other two counties in California with that distinction are Alpine and Mariposa counties).

As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,112, making it the fifth least-populous county in California, and the least-populous of California's 27 original counties. The county seat and largest community is Weaverville.