Foresta | |
|---|---|
 Yosemite Valley as seen from Foresta | |
  Foresta Location in California | |
| Coordinates: 37°41′54″N 119°45′19″W / 37.69833°N 119.75528°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Mariposa County |
| Elevation | 4,314 ft (1,315 m) |
Foresta (formerly, McCauley and Opim)[2] is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California, within Yosemite National Park.[1] It is located 2.25 miles (3.6 km) northeast of El Portal,[2] at an elevation of 4,314 feet (1,315 m).[1] The Crane Creek census-designated place overlays the community.
The name comes from the Foresta Land Company, founded by A.B. Davis in 1913.[2] Davis built a resort at Foresta but abandoned it.[2] The Foresta area was subdivided and sold off to investors by the 1930s, but little construction at the site took place until electricity was extended to Foresta in 1951. Building of private residences mostly began at that time and continued until the early 1960s, with a campground built soon after.[3] Foresta now consists of homes for National Park Service, concessionaire, and Yosemite Institute employees, plus several vacation rentals. The community is located on the slopes surrounding Big Meadow, three miles off the Big Oak Flat Road. Many of the homes in the area burned in a 1990 wildfire.[4]
The Opim post office operated there from 1882 to 1884.[2]
