Things to do near Yosemite, from our hillside in Coulterville

Coffee with the Cows: every morning at 9, Lola, Lemon and Pearl come to say good morning.

Meet the Highlanders is our free morning visit, Coffee with the Cows, with Lola and Lemon, our two black micro mini Highland cattle, and Pearl the mini donkey, at Mariposa Highlands, on Penon Blanco Road in Coulterville, CA, about 36 miles (roughly an hour) from Yosemite's Big Oak Flat entrance. It happens daily, every morning at 9:00 AM, takes approximately 20 minutes, and is free for every guest staying with us. Coffee and cocoa are served. Lola and Lemon hang out in that spot all day, so you can watch them any time; the 9 AM visit is the time to interact. The rest of our herd are standard Highland cattle with red coats, the breed's classic ginger color: Jack the bull, young August and about a dozen cows. Jack keeps a gentle eye on the herd and the young ones.

In by one road, out by another, home for a second sunset.

The Perfect Yosemite Day is our family's two-night plan for seeing Yosemite without rushing, using Mariposa Highlands in Coulterville, CA as base camp. Arrive early on day 1 and enjoy the land before check-in. On day 2, drive in on Hwy 120 through Groveland, spend the whole day in Yosemite Valley (El Capitan, Half Dome, the waterfalls, and Glacier Point when its road is open), then leave along the Merced River toward Mariposa, stop for barbecue, and get back while the sun is still up for a second sunset. On day 3, join Coffee with the Cows at 9 AM and stay on the land after check-out at no extra cost. Two nights on the ridge make Mariposa Highlands an easy base camp for Yosemite.

Trails start at your door. No trailhead, no crowd.

The Hiking Trails at Mariposa Highlands are miles of private trails that start right outside your Airstream on Penon Blanco Peak in Coulterville, CA, open for both hiking and mountain biking. Our trails were built by Jaret Brantley (@jaretbrantley), an ex-pro wakeboarder and one of the trail builders for Redding Trail Alliance (@redding_trail_alliance). Choose a very easy walk to a spring and a view of Lake McClure, two longer loops across Penon Blanco Road, a harder hike with views of the waterfall and its granite rocks, or the strenuous climb to the top of Penon Blanco Peak near the old fire lookout. Our trails connect to adjacent public BLM land. They are free for guests and open all year. They are never crowded and you can see a long way, so sharing them with the odd mountain biker is easy. Carry water and stay on marked trails.

Every Airstream faces the sunset. Then the stars come out.

Dark Skies & Sunsets is the nightly show at Mariposa Highlands, high on Penon Blanco Peak in Coulterville, CA. Every Airstream is placed to face the sunset across the valley, and we are far from town lights, so on a clear, moonless night the stars come out in force. It is free, it happens every night, and you can watch from outside your Airstream. For the Milky Way, come on a night near the new moon, roughly late spring through early fall. Quiet hours start at 10 PM.

Two big, quiet lakes, one on each side of us.

Lake Days at Mariposa Highlands mean an afternoon on Lake McClure, the big reservoir you can see from our ridges in Coulterville, CA. Its Horseshoe Bend Recreation Area is just off Hwy 132 near Hwy 49, about 4 miles (10 to 15 minutes) from us. Swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, boating, water skiing and fishing are all popular. The Merced River carries water from Yosemite down into Lake McClure, so this is your lake connection to Yosemite: very clean water that is generally a comfortable temperature compared with most lakes. Check water levels and closures before you go.

The land is yours before check-in and after check-out.

Arrive Early, Stay Late means the land at Mariposa Highlands is yours before check-in and after check-out, at no extra cost. Check-in is 3 PM and check-out is 11 AM so we can clean each Airstream, but you are welcome to come early or linger: walk the private trails, see Pearl, Lola and Lemon at 9 AM, eat lunch with a view, or rest before the drive home. It turns a tight one- or two-night Yosemite stop into a fuller trip. Cleaning time between guests is tight, so the Airstreams and their sites are off-limits outside check-in and check-out times, but the rest of the property is yours to enjoy.

Miles of private trails, built by Jaret Brantley.

Mountain Biking at Mariposa Highlands starts outside your Airstream in Coulterville, CA, on miles of private trails open for both hiking and mountain biking, with steep climbs and wide foothill views. Our trails are free for guests and were built by Jaret Brantley (@jaretbrantley), an ex-pro wakeboarder and one of the trail builders for Redding Trail Alliance (@redding_trail_alliance). Bring your own bike; e-bikes are welcome. Ride all year round, except when it's raining or has just rained. For extensive trail riding and more expert trails, the Exchequer Mountain Bike Park at Lake McClure's Barrett Cove is a separate place nearby, with its own rules and Lake McClure's day-use fee. In summer, ride in the morning or evening and carry plenty of water.

The quiet hills above Coulterville were once the busy road to Yosemite.

Penon Blanco Peak, home of Mariposa Highlands near Coulterville, CA, sits in the middle of Gold Rush and early Yosemite history. Its name comes from the Spanish Peñón Blanco, "white rock," for the gold-bearing quartz in these hills, and in 1849 Mexican and Chilean miners started a gold camp here called Penon Blanco. A historical marker placed by E Clampus Vitus says the nearby Oro Rico Mine was the first mine in California to apply for a patented mining claim, in 1866. John Muir passed through in 1869 on the journey he wrote about in My First Summer in the Sierra, and the Coulterville Road became the first stagecoach road into Yosemite Valley on June 17, 1874, just 29 days before a rival road opened on the route that became today's Hwy 120.

Space, quiet, and a sunset to yourselves.

A Couples' Retreat at Mariposa Highlands is a private Airstream for two on a quiet ridge in Coulterville, CA, about 36 miles (roughly an hour) from Yosemite. Each Airstream has a queen bed, a kitchenette, a BBQ grill, heating, and its own outdoor space facing the sunset. Spend slow mornings with coffee, a hike or the 9 AM visit with Pearl, Lola and Lemon, then evenings by your own propane fire pit and under the stars. Our thermal spa is coming in 2027.

Book a few Airstreams side by side, or the whole row.

Friends & Group Buyouts at Mariposa Highlands let a small group book Airstreams side by side, or ask about the whole row, on our ridge in Coulterville, CA. Today the five Airstreams sleep up to 15 guests (3 each, queen + futon). Days are for Yosemite, hikes, the lake, and Pearl, Lola and Lemon at 9 AM; evenings are for grilling and sitting together around a propane fire pit (every site has its own). Parties or events are only allowed if you book out the entire property, and they still follow our guidelines. Minimum stays vary by unit and date; email mariposahighlands@gmail.com with your dates and group size for pricing.

Five springs flow on this land all year.

The Springs are five year-round springs on the nearly 500 acres of Mariposa Highlands in Coulterville, CA. In dry foothill country they keep pockets of green all year, feed small ponds, and draw deer, birds, and our Highland cattle. A seasonal creek runs in wet months, usually winter and spring. You can walk to the springs on our private trails for free. Please treat the water as wild: do not drink it untreated.

Hike, ride, or spend a day on the lake together.

Corporate Retreats at Mariposa Highlands are for small teams who want quiet thinking time near Yosemite. Book the five Airstreams on our ridge in Coulterville, CA, for up to 15 people (3 per Airstream; most teams prefer one or two each). Every Airstream has Wi-Fi, a kitchenette, and its own outdoor space facing the sunset, and trails start at the door. There is no meeting hall. Events are only allowed with a full-property buyout (and still follow our guidelines). Minimum stays vary by unit and date. Please inquire with your team size and dates for pricing.

A birthday, an anniversary, a family visit. Ask us first.

Celebrations & Family Time at Mariposa Highlands are for quiet milestones: a birthday, an anniversary, or grandparents and grandkids together on our ridge in Coulterville, CA. Book an Airstream or a few side by side (up to 15 guests across five), meet Pearl, Lola and Lemon at 9 AM, share a meal outside your Airstream, and gather around your site's own propane fire pit at sunset. Parties or events are only allowed if you book out the entire property, and they still follow our guidelines, so please inquire before you book.

Cold plunge, sauna, hot tub, fireside loungers.

The Thermal Spa at Mariposa Highlands is coming in 2027. It is planned as a quiet place on our ridge in Coulterville, CA, to rest after a long day in Yosemite or on the trails, with a cold plunge, a sauna, a hot tub, and fireside loungers looking out over the foothills. It is not open yet and cannot be booked. Details such as cost, hours, and age rules will be shared closer to opening.

New ways to stay on the hill, being built now.

Safari Tents & Cabins are coming soon to Mariposa Highlands in Coulterville, CA. Three safari tents are being furnished, and cabins are being built, giving more ways to stay on our ridge near Yosemite. They are not bookable yet. Rates, sleeping setup, and opening dates will be shared when they are ready. Until then, our five Airstreams are open all year, each sleeping 3 (queen + futon).