National Park Foundation Announces Photo Contest Winners Celebrating America the Beautiful

Jun 23, 2025

Matt Growcoot

A brown bear cub sticks out its tongue while lying in green grass, next to a serene lake scene with mountains, trees, and a full rainbow reflected in the water under a partly cloudy sky. — Photo credits left to right: Terry Wilson and Jackie Rogers

The National Park Foundation has announced the winners of its 2024 Share the Experience photo contest — the official competition of America’s national parks.

The competition invites amateur photographers to share photos taken in parks as well as federal recreational lands and waters. For the 2024 contest, 7,000 photos were submitted to the contest.

The overall winner takes home a generous cash prize of $10,000, followed by $5,000 and $3,000 for second and third place respectively. The winning image will be featured on the America the Beautiful — the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass, which covers entrances and standard amenity fees for participating federal locations across the country.

First Place

A scenic view of a river winding through a lush green forest, with tall mountains in the background under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds. — A breathtaking view at Glacier National Park unfolds as towering mountain peaks rise above alpine waters. This photo by Akshay Joshi will be featured on the 2026 America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Second Place

An adult American Avocet with orange head and black-and-white body gently interacts with a fluffy chick on muddy ground near water, with green plants and a blurred background. — An American Avocet with its chick, photographed by Jean Zuo at Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Third Place

A fluffy brown bear sits in tall green grass, facing the camera with its tongue sticking out playfully. — Photographed by Terry Wilson at Katmai National Park and Preserve, a brown bear cub sticks out its tongue while resting in the grass.

Outdoors for All

A hiker wearing a helmet and backpack rests on rocky terrain atop a mountain ridge, overlooking a scenic view of rugged peaks, a blue alpine lake, and forested valleys under a partly cloudy sky. — Hwei Ling Ng, Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest

Everyday Adventures

A scuba diver swims underwater among tall, golden-green kelp plants in clear blue water, surrounded by small fish and sunlight streaming down from above. — Joshua Keogh, Channel Islands National Park

History & Heritage

A full moon appears perfectly aligned inside the top of a tall white lighthouse against a dark evening sky, creating the illusion that the moon is the lighthouse’s glowing light. — Matt Ley, Cape Cod National Seashore

Scenery & Seasons

A vivid rainbow arches over a mountain reflected in a calm lake, surrounded by trees and sunlit rocky slopes under a partly cloudy sky. — Jackie Rogers, Glacier National Park

Night Skies

A vibrant night sky filled with stars and the Milky Way stretches above silhouetted trees, with a faint orange glow on the horizon. — Colin Dunleavy, Bryce Canyon National Park

Wildlife

A black bear cub rests on tree branches, holding onto the limbs with its front legs. Autumn leaves and bare twigs surround the cub, and the background is softly out of focus. — Lawrence Bell, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The National Park Foundation is also launching its 2025 Share the Experience photo contest with co-sponsor Booz Allen Hamilton, the contractor and partner for the Recreation.gov platform.

The grand prize for the winning image is $10,000, followed by $5,000 and $3,000 for second and third place, respectively. Select prize packages include gear provided by Celestron and YETI, hotel vouchers courtesy of Historic Hotels of America®, and an America the Beautiful—the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass.

In addition to the top images, five winners will be announced from the following categories: History and Heritage, Scenery and Seasons, Vacation Vibes, and Wildlife. For more information, head to the Share the Experience website.