Highway 140 is the most heavily used entrance to Yosemite and this route passes through the center of the county and the communities of Cathey's Valley, Mariposa and El Portal. At some point, all of the park's entrances pass through Mariposa County. V isitors to Yosemite are very important to the Mariposa County economy and this importance is reflected in the fact that 24 percent of workers in the county are employed in the services sector. The total number of rooms in Mariposa is 363 with a total of 2,900 rooms county-wide. There is also a thriving Bed and Breakfast industry with a total of 80 very special rooms throughout the county.
Restaurants do outstanding business during the peak visitor season.
Although best known for being home to Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County has many other things to be proud of including the county school system where students consistently test above the state-wide average. The county's affordable housing is also an attraction. Mariposa County is also home to the California State Mining and Mineral Museum situated at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds south of the village of Mariposa. I n California things name themselves or rather, nature names them. When this County was entered in 1806 by the Morgana Expedition, a group of Spanish explorers and hunters, they came to rest in a place just teeming with vibrant cream and yellow butterflies.