Vintage Stock Footage

1978 California

Home movies filmed in California in 1978 feature hiking, cooking and mealtimes, and swimming. Scenes include hikers on woodland trails, flower gardens, and people swimming in pools.

$149 flat license · royalty-free worldwide

California19781970s254 clips, page 1 of 11
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1978 California collection preview · 0:56

About this footage

Backpacking takes up most of this set. Groups around Lake Tahoe carry large frame packs along rocky forest trails, rest on boulders, pitch tents by the shore and build small fires in stone rings. Homemade title cards break up the reels, one reading "AND AGAIN 1978" over a mountain slope. The camera often stops for the scenery: still lakes mirroring pine forest, a waterfall running between boulders, pink wildflowers, ferns lit by a flashlight at night, and hikers crossing patches of snow under the trees.

Other reels stay closer to home. A family wades at Canyon Lake with a baby on an inflatable mat, a boy tows a dog on a float, men toss a ball in a backyard pool, and friends eat at a picnic table under an umbrella. There's also a night football game in San Bernardino and a father in Downey holding up his newborn daughter.

The Tahoe reels suit stories about 1970s backpacking, camping gear and mountain lakes.

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Search within California, 1978. Keywords and filters apply to all 254 clips in this collection.

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Showing 1–24 of 254 clips

What is on the reels

The subjects tagged most often across the 254 clips on this page, with how many clips carry each tag.

Also from California

1936 California1937 California1938 California1939 California1949 California1953 California1958 California1961 California1962 California1964 California1966 California1969 California1971 California1975 California1979 California1981 California1984 California

Also from 1978

1978 Spain1978 Seville Spain
All 1970s footageAll 1970s United States footageBrowse by subject

Frequently asked questions

What kind of 1978 California footage is available?

254 clips of home movie footage filmed in California in 1978, scanned from original 8mm reels. The subjects tagged most often across these clips are trees, forest, recreation, sports and hiking.

What format was 1978 California footage shot on?

By the 1970s, most home movies were shot on Super 8, with Standard 8mm still in use. We scan original reels at 4K and color-correct each clip while keeping the film grain.

How many of these clips can I license directly?

All 254. Each one licenses directly from Stockfilm for $149, royalty-free, with the 4K master delivered after checkout.

Can I license 1978 California stock footage commercially?

254 clips on this page are available for royalty-free direct licensing from Stockfilm. Commercial use, including advertising and branded content, applies only to clips marked Commercial; clips marked Editorial only are limited to documentary, news, educational, internal and organic social use. Each clip page and grid card shows the status.

Where can I download 1978 California archival footage?

Open a clip from the collection above, choose License Direct, and complete checkout to receive the licensed master download from Stockfilm.