Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Historic images of Yosemite and the Mono Basin

The Yosemite Museum has published online over 6,500 images of Yosemite and surrounding areas in its Yosemite Historic Photo Collection. There are also photos of people, cultural artifacts, maps, and documents related to Yosemite.

Mono Lake from Bloody Canyon, August 1931
Mono Lake from Bloody Canyon, August 1931

A large portion of the collection consists of beautiful Paiute and Miwok baskets. The Mono Basin—portions of it were once a part of the original National Park—is featured in many of the photos. Here is a sampling of Mono Basin shots that can be found in this amazing resource:

Virginia Best on Mt. Dana
Virginia Best on Mt. Dana
Mt. Dana view of Mono Craters
Mt. Dana view of Mono Craters
Hiking group climbing Mt. Conness, 1932
Hiking group climbing Mt. Conness, 1932
First car over Tioga Pass, June 1919
First car over Tioga Pass, June 1919
Vehicle navigating the dirt road up Lee Vining Canyon, 1929
Vehicle navigating the dirt road up Lee Vining Canyon, 1929