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19 Vintage Photos From Yellowstone National Park

Vintage Photos Animals May 28, 2025

Last Updated on May 28, 2025 by Matt Staff

There’s something magical about seeing Yellowstone through the lens of the past. These 19 rare vintage photographs offer a glimpse into a time when the park was still wild and largely untouched. Wooden lodges stood proud against the backdrop of steaming valleys, and every visit felt like a true frontier adventure. These 19 vintage photos certainly transport you to a time in Yellowstone National Park that has long since passed us by.

1. Grizzly bear researchers Frank and John Craighead, 1968

Two men in casual shirts and jeans stand beside a camera on a tripod by a river, with tall, rugged mountains and trees in the background under a clear sky.
hengistpod

2. Two best friends kicking it in Yellowstone, 1979

Two men stand smiling by a campfire in a wooded campsite, each holding a drink. Picnic supplies and a cooler are on a table behind them. A vintage car is parked among the trees in the background.
nosnos21

3. Picnicking on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, early 1970s

A family sits at a picnic table by a lake, eating together. An old station wagon with its trunk open is parked nearby on a rocky shore, with food and bags visible inside. The sky looks overcast.
pete_the_chop

4. Taking a seat on the bank of the Yellowstone River, 1966

A young boy sits on stone steps beside a rushing blue river surrounded by pine trees and rocks, with a forested landscape in the background under a clear sky.
knot_hear

5. Chatting up a couple of bears at Yellowstone, 1957

A man in uniform stands by an open car door on a forested road, facing two black bears—one standing in the road and one lying down—during the daytime.
cr1122

6. A Yellowstone Park Ranger using a bow to tranquilize a bear, fall 1962

A person in a ranger uniform and hat stands in a forest, aiming a drawn bow and arrow. Trees and fallen logs are visible in the background.
pete_the_chop

7. Photobombing bear

A vintage black-and-white photo shows two men outdoors in a forest, with one man sitting in the foreground and the other standing beside a black bear in the background.
chiefwhatdidyousay

8. Hitchhiking through Yellowstone, 1976

Two young women are standing by a roadside surrounded by trees, hitchhiking with thumbs out. One holds a "Girl Scouts – Harmless" sign. Both wear hiking gear, and backpacks sit on the ground beside them.
pete_the_chop

9. It’s like a back massage and a bath, Yellowstone, 1980

A man sits in a fast-moving river, holding a can and smiling at the camera. He is surrounded by splashing water, with grassy banks and wildflowers visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
beardan407

10. At the Southwest arm of Yellowstone Lake, early 1970s

A man in a cowboy hat, plaid shirt, and jeans stands outdoors by a lake and some trees, with one hand on his hip and the other resting on a fence railing.
bentpieceoflight

11. Yellowstone Park employees in 1904

Five women in long skirts and white blouses pose in front of a fallen tree outdoors, holding hats and small bouquets of flowers. The background shows trees and grass.
pete_the_chop

12. “My uncles hiking at Yellowstone, 1981”

Two people sit outdoors on grass near rocky mountains, one smiling at the camera while holding paper, the other reading a book. Both wear casual hiking clothes and hats. The background shows rocky terrain and clear skies.
aceofspades2399

13. What a polite bear, July 1926

A woman stands feeding a large bear in a campground with tents, cars, and trees in the background. A child and another adult watch nearby, creating a vintage, early 20th-century outdoor scene.
amayer308

14. Matching outfits at Yellowstone National Park, late 1970s

Two elderly women, possibly twins, stand side by side wearing matching white blouses, blue pants, and white handbags. They pose in front of a scenic canyon with a waterfall and forest in the background.
no_bowler_59

15. The Mammoth Hot Springs at Yellowstone, early 1900s

A woman in Edwardian-era clothing stands by a wooden fence in front of a natural hot spring terrace landscape, with steam rising and trees in the background.
memorylanepr

16. Glamping in Yellowstone, 1908

A black-and-white photo of seven people, men and women in early 1900s attire, sitting on chairs outside a large striped tent in a wooded area, with trees visible in the background.
jumpedoutoftheboat

17. Road trip to Yellowstone, early 1970s

A retro Volkswagen van is parked on grass with its door open. Three people sit on the roof among luggage, while another person walks beside the van holding a rope. Camping gear is spread out nearby under a partly cloudy sky.
carbonbrew

18. Have bears gotten more vicious since then? Yellowstone 1963

A young boy stands face to face with a large brown bear in an outdoor, forested setting. The boy holds a camera and looks calmly at the bear, which is very close to his face.
mw4810

19. Yellowstone Park employees taking a Ranger-led hike, 1964

A group of six women and one man stand in a grassy field with mountains and blue sky in the background. The man wears a ranger uniform and the others are dressed casually, some with backpacks.
pete_the_chop

Want to see more vintage content?

Check out 20 Vintage Photos of What Schools Looked Like in the 1960s-1970s, or 20 Vintage Photos Of College Life In The 1940s. Finally, if you want to check out mechanics in the past, take a look at 20 Vintage Photos Of Mechanics in the 1890s-1960s.

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