‘Share the Experience’ Winning Photographs Showcase the Beauty of America’s Public Lands

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 13, 2024) – The National Park Foundation and partners are excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Share the Experience photo contest and launch the 2024 contest. The Share the Experience photo contest invites amateur photographers to share photos of their favorite views, moments, memories, and adventures from national parks and public lands across the United States, with safety top of mind.

View the collection of winning photos here.

Nearly 9,000 photos were submitted to the contest which ran from June 15, 2023 through December 31, 2023. The winning image will be featured on the America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass, which covers entrance and standard amenity fees for participating federal locations throughout the country.

Top Three Winners

First place: A roseate spoonbill photographed in flight, showing its distinctive pink feathers at Everglades National Park. This photo by Micheal Zheng will be featured on the America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Second place: Photographed by Jack Denger, a herd of bison rushes up a grassy hill at Badlands National Park and kicks up dust illuminated by sunlight.

Third place: A great blue heron catches its next meal, photographed by Isaac Rosenberg at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens.

2024 Share the Experience Photo Contest

The National Park Foundation is also excited to launch the 2024 Share the Experience photo contest with co-sponsor Booz Allen Hamilton, the contractor and partner for the Recreation.gov platform. This year’s contest invites amateur photographers to submit their favorite images.

The grand prize for the winning image is $10,000, followed by $5,000 and $3,000 for second and third place. Winners also receive outdoor gear provided by Celestron and Hydro Flask, hotel vouchers courtesy of Historic Hotels of America®, and an America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Prizes will also be awarded for the following six categories:

Outdoors for All

Demonstrate how public lands welcome and connect us by highlighting the diversity of locations, activities, and visitors. This category spotlights people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, exploring and enjoying the spectrum of experiences available at our public lands and waters.

Everyday Adventures

An incredible experience doesn’t require visiting an iconic destination. Adventure can be found in the everyday. Discover new places and capture activities and imagery from lesser-known public lands and waters across the country.

History & Heritage

From monuments and battlefields to re-enactments and cultural celebrations, this category is meant to showcase the rich history and diversity of America and the special places and traditions that preserve and promote these stories.

Scenery & Seasons

The scenic vistas, sweeping landscapes, and beautiful flora of public lands can be found in far-off locales or closer to home than you think - capture fall foliage, forests, winter wonderlands, flowers, mountains, deserts, canyons, lakes, seashores, rivers and more.

Wildlife

Take a walk on the wild side with photos of the incredible array of wildlife that call federal lands and waters home. Remember to always keep your distance and stay safe!

Night Skies

Starlight and starbright, capture the magic of a night out under the stars. Slow the shutter speed down and see what develops! Remember to stay in designated areas and follow all guidelines about hours for visitation.

The 2024 Share the Experience photo contest is hosted by the National Park Foundation and Booz Allen Hamilton in partnership with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and Recreation.gov. Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America’s national parks and federal recreational lands and waters, showcasing the more than 500 million acres of federal lands and waters and drawing entries from across the United States. The 2024 contest is now open and accepting entries through December 31, 2024.

Please visit sharetheexperience.org to learn more about the contest, including how to submit an image, the full list of prizing, and contest rules. You can also follow @NationalParkFoundation on Instagram for photo inspiration.