Route 140--Mariposa County 140

Route 140 in Mariposa County is a California State Scenic Highway climbing the Merced River Canyon from the town of Mariposa to the boundary of Yosemite National Park. The designated scenic stretch runs from Route 140's junction with Route 49 to the park boundary, with a couple of short segments in between classified as merely eligible rather than officially designated. Along the way the highway leaves oak woodland behind and follows the Merced River into an increasingly narrow, granite-walled canyon, with vista points positioned to take advantage of the river and rock formations below. Once inside the park, the same road continues as El Portal Drive, still tracing the Merced River as it leads directly into Yosemite Valley. Because it's one of the main access routes into the park, the corridor carries heavy tourist traffic, especially in summer, but the canyon scenery holds up on its own even for travelers not continuing into Yosemite. Rockfall and river flooding periodically close sections of the highway, so checking road conditions before a trip is worth doing on this route more than most.

• Mariposa to Yosemite National Park
• State Scenic Highway
• Merced River Canyon
• continues as El Portal Drive
• SR-49 junction to park boundary
• Yosemite Valley access route