With over 15,000 submissions, it was a difficult task, but undoubtedly a pleasurable experience, sifting through the gorgeous photographs of our federal lands.
Yang Lu took home first place honors with a breathtaking photograph of a sunset over Glen Canyon. Kostubh Kulkarni, with a picturesque scene of bighorn sheep at Joshua Tree National Park, and Sarah Gustafson, with a self-portrait on the salt flats of Death Valley National Park, round out the top three.
You can scroll through the slideshow at the bottom of the page to view all the winning photographs.
2016 Contest
This year’s contest begins April 28 and will run to the end of the year.
Whether you’re an avid outdoor photographer or a wide-eyed visitor with a smartphone, it doesn’t matter. Everyone is welcome to submit photos taken on partner agency lands: National Park Service, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and Army Corpse of Engineers.
You must submit all photos in one of six categories. The categories include Scenic, Seasons and Landscapes, Adventure and Outdoor Recreation, Historical and Cultural, Night Skies, Every Kid in a Park, and Wildlife.
Prizes include a $10,000 grand prize to the winning photographer, $5,000 to the first runner-up, and $3,000 to the third place finisher. There’s also a $1,000 prize given to two fan favorite photographs, as well as an honorable mention for each category that includes a stay at Historic Hotels of America, Celestron equipment and an Annual Recreational Lands Pass.
For more information about this year’s competition, be sure to visit the Share the Experience website, here.
This annual photo contest encourages visitors of our nation’s beautiful federal recreation lands to capture their experiences via photography and share it with the rest of the world. It’s our hope that these stunning photos and the stories they tell of our gorgeous land will inspire others to visit, explore and protect these incredible places.
2015 Winners:
Fan Favorite
Heather Martin 5 of 12Mt. Whitney, Inyo National Forest, California
Reserve A
CampsiteAdventure & Outdoor Recreation Category Winner
Rebecca Wilks 7 of 12Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Lake Powell, Utah
Reserve A
CampsiteNight Skies Category Winner
Erik Fremstad 8 of 12Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Reserve A
CampsiteScenic, Seasons & Landscapes Category Winner
Steve Ancick 9 of 12Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area, New Mexico
Reserve A
CampsiteEvery Kid in a Park Category Winner
Kimberly Hall 11 of 12Virgin Islands National Park, U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John, Caribbean
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