Please see the Official Contest Rules, Guidelines and Prizes for more information.

Who can enter?

Amateur photographers (less than 20% of total income from photography) and legal residents of the United States and D.C., ages 13 and older who are not employees or family members of the contest administrator, sponsors or partner agencies.

Where does the photo need to be taken?

The photo must be taken at a federal land or historical site of the following participating agencies:

• National Park Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• Bureau of Reclamation
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U.S. Forest Service
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

What other requirements are there for the photo?

The photo must be your photo, meaning you must have taken the photo, not just taken on your camera. Anyone in the photo must know they are in the photo and must have given consent to appear in the photo.

When does the photo need to be taken?

The photo must be taken between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2018.

What size does the photo need to be?

The recommended size of the photo is at least 2 mb and preferably 300dpi. The winning photos must be of sufficient quality to use in print publications. Photos less then 2MB will be accepted but will not be eligible to win prizes.

How many photos can I enter?

Entries are limited to ten (10) per month (First day of each month 12:00am ET- last day of each month 11:59pm ET) during the duration of the contest. Be sure to act as your own photo editor and send us the best of the best!

When can photos be submitted?

The contest will be open for entries from May 24, 2018 to December 31, 2018 and the winners will be announced Spring 2019.

How do I submit a photo?

Simply visit www.sharetheexperience.org and follow the easy submission process. This includes providing the photo information, agency, photographer information and, of course, uploading the photo to our database. As soon as the photo is received it will be reviewed to ensure it has met all the qualifications before being loaded on the website. Photos may take up to 72 hours to be moderated.

How is the winner picked?

All photos will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Originality,
2. Artistic Composition,
3. Technical Quality,
4. Photographic Technique, and
5. How well the photograph showcases the best of America's recreational opportunities.

What are the prizes?

See the Prizes section on this website for a complete list of prizes.

What is the Federal Recreation Lands Pass?

The Federal Recreation Lands Pass - an annual pass is your ticket to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass covers entrance fees at participating national parks and national wildlife refuges, as well as standard amenity fees at national forests and grasslands, and at lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation. A pass covers entrance and standard amenity fees for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle at per vehicle fee areas (or up to 4 adults at sites that charge per person). Children age 15 and under are admitted free. The pass is distributed to approximately 500,000 people annually.

Get your pass now at Recreation.gov!

What's the Fan Favorite?

The Fan Favorite is a unique category with two special winners. Visitors to www.sharetheexperience.org are invited to view all the photos that have been submitted. From these photos they are able to vote on their favorite shots. At the end of the contest we will take the top 10 vote getters and our judges will pick two of those photos as the winners. Winners will enjoy these great prizes.

How can people vote on their favorite photos?

People can vote on their fan favorites on the www.sharetheexperience.org site. One vote per email address, but you can vote for as many photos as you would like, just once each. Any evidence of tampering, automation or any other method of forgery will result in immediate disqualification.

What's the Monthly Winner?

The monthly winners are guaranteed a spot in the finals, three winners will be picked each month of the contest. The photo will be picked by a judging panel and will be selected based on the same categories the overall winner will be picked on, originality, artistic composition and showcasing the best of America's recreational opportunities. The monthly winners will not only receive an automatic entry into the finals, but will also receive a Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass which will be mailed to winners within 30 days of confirmation.

What are the categories?

There are six categories, Scenic, Wildlife, Historical & Cultural, Adventure & Outdoor Recreation, Night Skies and Family, Friends & Fun. Use your best judgment to pick the category that best fits your photo. Remember, the category winners will receive some great get-a-way prizes, so make sure you choose wisely!

Where will the images be displayed?

The images will be displayed on www.sharetheexperience.org. From there depending on how your photo does in the contest, you could find your photo displayed on the front of the Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass!

What do you do with the information you collect?

We value your personal information as well as your privacy and adhere to strict laws and practices when it comes to that information. Please see our Privacy Policy for more specific info.

Who can I contact for more information?

Please email: sharetheexperience@nationalparks.org