A History of Yosemite Park in Photos

President Theodore Roosevelt at Glacier Point

Yosemite National Park, filled with flush meadows, epic rock faces and mesmerizing waterfalls, is one of the most popular parks in the world. John Muir is credited with being its forefather after he lobbied Congress for the Act that created Yosemite National Park on October 1, 1890. Today, 128 years later, the park remains as close to the hearts of its visitors as it did to Muir then.




The 1,500 square miles of wilderness has seen a lot over the years. From horseback rangers to selfie sticks, the park is standing monument to not inly the history of the United States, but the history of human beings.

Let’s see what the park has looked like over the past 128 years (Photos by the National Park Service):

Skiing in Yosemite National Park with a cat. This photo was taken in the 1890s.
Dancing on a rock overhang at Glacier Point in the 1890s.
A handcrafted motorhome built on the chassis of a 1905 Pierce Arrow is pictured with the Sentinel Hotel in the distance.




A covered bridge in pictured in 1944.
Yosemite National Park rangers are shown on horses in 1915.
The Wawona Hotel is pictured in the 1880s. You can see horse-drawn carriages in front.




Cars are parked in Stoneman Meadow in 1927.

This image shows a bear trap built of logs on a horse-drawn wagon in front of the Yosemite Store in the early 1900s.




The front of LeConte Memorial Lodge.
Yosemite Chapel
The east wall of El Capitan is seen in morning sunlight.




The Awahnee Hotel is seen with Half Dome in distance.
Yosemite Valley
A view of the three-story Sentinel Hotel in the early 1920s and valley cliffs in distance.




The two-story Yosemite Museum building is seen in this 1938 photos with a car parked along street.

A Stanley Steamer is seen along a road in Yosemite Valley on July 26, 1900. It is considered the second automobile to drive into the valley.




Today, the park still looks amazing (especially with color photography):

Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point
Upper Yosemite Falls
Lower Yosemite Falls
Vernal Falls
The natural phenomenon that is Horsetail Fall

Here’s to another beautiful 128 years!

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button