A rocky overlook extends above the winding Colorado River and layered canyon walls at sunrise in Grand Canyon National Park.

America’s National Parks and Public Lands Photography Contest

Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America’s national parks and federal recreational lands and waters. The 2026 contest opens on September 1 at 10:00 AM ET.

Enter Today

About the Contest

A rocky overlook extends above the winding Colorado River and layered canyon walls at sunrise in Grand Canyon National Park.

America’s National Parks and Public Lands Photography Contest

Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America’s national parks and federal recreational lands and waters. The 2026 contest opens on September 1 at 10:00 AM ET.

Enter Today

About the Contest

A rocky overlook extends above the winding Colorado River and layered canyon walls at sunrise in Grand Canyon National Park.

America’s National Parks and Public Lands Photography Contest

Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America’s national parks and federal recreational lands and waters. The 2026 contest opens on September 1 at 10:00 AM ET.

Enter Today

About the Contest

Share the Experience 2026

Share the Experience 2026

Share the Experience celebrates America's federal recreational lands and waters and the incredible experiences they offer. Now in its 20th year, the contest has showcased hundreds of thousands of beautiful photos that exhibit the breadth of wonder across America's public lands. Join the legacy by entering your best photos today.

Share the Experience celebrates America's federal recreational lands and waters and the incredible experiences they offer. Now in its 20th year, the contest has showcased hundreds of thousands of beautiful photos that exhibit the breadth of wonder across America's public lands. Join the legacy by entering your best photos today.

PRESENTED BY

National Park Foundation website
National Park Foundation website
Booz Allen website
Booz Allen website

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Recreation.gov website
Recreation.gov website

Your Chance to Win $10,000

Your photos could earn national recognition, cash prizes, exciting travel opportunities, premium outdoor gear, and more.

A fire lookout tower rises above a forested landscape at sunset, with lakes and distant mountains visible beyond the trees in Medicine Bow National Forest.

Grand Prize

$10,000

One outstanding photo will earn the grand prize, including $10,000 and an amazing prize package.

A fire lookout tower rises above a forested landscape at sunset, with lakes and distant mountains visible beyond the trees in Medicine Bow National Forest.

Grand Prize

$10,000

One outstanding photo will earn the grand prize, including $10,000 and an amazing prize package.

A scuba diver explores a dense kelp forest beneath the ocean surface as sunlight shines through the water in Channel Islands National Park.

Category Winners

$2,000

Four category winners will be awarded for photos showcasing the best of America’s public lands and waters.

A scuba diver explores a dense kelp forest beneath the ocean surface as sunlight shines through the water in Channel Islands National Park.

Category Winners

$2,000

Four category winners will be awarded for photos showcasing the best of America’s public lands and waters.

See What You Could Win!

Explore all the prize package details, including hotel stays, gear, and more.

View All Prizes

See What You Could Win!

Explore all the prize package details, including hotel stays, gear, and more.

View All Prizes

PRIZES PROVIDED BY

Booz Allen

Historic Hotels of America

Celestron

YETI

Contest Categories

Contest Categories

From breathtaking scenery to moments with friends and family, find where your photos fit best.

From breathtaking scenery to moments with friends and family, find where your photos fit best.

View All Categories

Wildlife

A painted bunting with a blue head, red breast, and green back perches on a seed grass stem at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

History & Culture

Historic split-rail fences stretch across a misty field at sunrise, with a stone observation tower in the distance at Antietam National Battlefield.

Scenery & Seasons

Wildflowers bloom along a mountain trail with Mount Rainier rising above green alpine ridges in the distance.

People & Recreation

A father and two children in wide-brimmed hats walk a paved path toward towering red rock peaks in Zion National Park.

Wildlife

A painted bunting with a blue head, red breast, and green back perches on a seed grass stem at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

Scenery & Seasons

Wildflowers bloom along a mountain trail with Mount Rainier rising above green alpine ridges in the distance.

History & Culture

Historic split-rail fences stretch across a misty field at sunrise, with a stone observation tower in the distance at Antietam National Battlefield.

People & Recreation

A father and two children in wide-brimmed hats walk a paved path toward towering red rock peaks in Zion National Park.

View All Categories

A hiker descends a snow-covered mountain slope overlooking forested ridges and winding waterways in Olympic National Forest.

Celebrating 20 Years of Share the Experience

Celebrating 20 Years of Share the Experience

For 20 years, Share the Experience has celebrated the majesty of America’s public lands, as photographed by you. Presented by the National Park Foundation and Booz Allen Hamilton, in partnership with Recreation.gov and the federal land agencies, the contest has received over 200,000 photo submissions and awarded over $300,000 in prizes. From iconic national parks to expansive national forests and wildlife refuges, amateur photographers are invited to share their photos and stories of the places they treasure.

For 20 years, Share the Experience has celebrated the majesty of America’s public lands, as photographed by you. Presented by the National Park Foundation and Booz Allen Hamilton, in partnership with Recreation.gov and the federal land agencies, the contest has received over 200,000 photo submissions and awarded over $300,000 in prizes. From iconic national parks to expansive national forests and wildlife refuges, amateur photographers are invited to share their photos and stories of the places they treasure.

$300K+

$300K+

IN PRIZES AWARDED

IN PRIZES AWARDED

20

20

YEARS RUNNING

YEARS RUNNING

200K+

200K+

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

About the Contest

Pink rhododendron blooms frame a sunset view over layered mountain ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A young red fox stands in a green grassy field looking directly at the camera in Gateway National Recreation Area.
A manatee swims near the surface of clear blue water surrounded by small yellow fish in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.

Ready to Share Your Experience?

Join thousands of photographers celebrating America’s national parks and public lands. Submit your best photos by December 31.

Enter Today

How It Works

A man in an adaptive off-road wheelchair poses with his parents in front of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.
A wooden cannon sits on a grassy field in front of historic barracks buildings at Fort Laramie National Historic Site.
The historic Old State House glows at night amid modern skyscrapers and streaking traffic lights along the Freedom Trail in Boston.
Two surfers carrying boards walk along a tidal beach silhouetted by sea stacks at sunset in Olympic National Park.
A bison stands among sagebrush with forested hills in the background in Yellowstone National Park.
A glowing yellow tent sits on a snow-covered ridge above a sea of clouds under a starry night sky in Mount Rainier National Park.
An adult American avocet walks beside its small chick along a muddy shoreline in Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Pink rhododendron blooms frame a sunset view over layered mountain ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A young red fox stands in a green grassy field looking directly at the camera in Gateway National Recreation Area.
A manatee swims near the surface of clear blue water surrounded by small yellow fish in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.

Ready to Share Your Experience?

Join thousands of photographers celebrating America’s national parks and public lands. Submit your best photos by December 31.

Enter Today

How It Works

A man in an adaptive off-road wheelchair poses with his parents in front of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.
A wooden cannon sits on a grassy field in front of historic barracks buildings at Fort Laramie National Historic Site.
The historic Old State House glows at night amid modern skyscrapers and streaking traffic lights along the Freedom Trail in Boston.
Two surfers carrying boards walk along a tidal beach silhouetted by sea stacks at sunset in Olympic National Park.
A bison stands among sagebrush with forested hills in the background in Yellowstone National Park.
A glowing yellow tent sits on a snow-covered ridge above a sea of clouds under a starry night sky in Mount Rainier National Park.
An adult American avocet walks beside its small chick along a muddy shoreline in Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Pink rhododendron blooms frame a sunset view over layered mountain ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A young red fox stands in a green grassy field looking directly at the camera in Gateway National Recreation Area.
A manatee swims near the surface of clear blue water surrounded by small yellow fish in Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge.

Ready to Share Your Experience?

Join thousands of photographers celebrating America’s national parks and public lands. Submit your best photos by December 31.

Enter Today

How It Works

A bison stands among sagebrush with forested hills in the background in Yellowstone National Park.
A glowing yellow tent sits on a snow-covered ridge above a sea of clouds under a starry night sky in Mount Rainier National Park.
An adult American avocet walks beside its small chick along a muddy shoreline in Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge.