Stunning Wilderness Photography: View the results of our Wilderness photo contest!
The results are in!
To honor the 45th anniversary of the Wilderness Act on Sept. 3, we asked for your best original photos from excursions in nature and you did not disappoint. From stunning vistas to wildlife in action, the winning shots of our photo contest capture truly inspirational moments offered by our nation’s wild places.
Check out the stunning 45 finalist photos below.
Click on this Grand Prize winner - Yellowstone National Park by William Hacker - to start the show.
3. Ramona Falls in Mt. Hood Wilderness, Oregon. Photo by Eli Boschetto.
4. Spring gales in Mini-Wakan State Park, Iowa. Photo by ruf_d.
Sage Creek Unit of Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Photo by Dick Krueger.
Bighorn Sheep rutting in Montana. Photo by eyeinthewild.com.
Bitter lichen in Montana. Photo by eyeinthewild.com.
Blue Heron with small fish in Florida. Photo by starpower2001.
Bobcat and Moose in Montana. Photo by eyeinthewild.com.
Bull elk in Montana. Photo by eyeinthewild.com.
Cactus flower in bloom in the El Paso, Texas desert. Photo by Miranda Ross.
Canada Geese in snowstorm over Hottes Lake, Iowa. Photo by ruf_d.
Caterpillar in Colorado. Photo by Jason K. Bach.
Clouds and Water Lily. Photo by firegirl22.
Crab in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Photo by deel34.
Ducks at Itasca State Park, Minnesota, the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Photo by ruf_d.
El Capitan at the end of Guadalupes, Texas. Photo by Darren Huski.
Flowers in Balboa Park, California. Photo by Milky Toast.
Golden Silk Spider at Sheldon Lake State Park, Texas. Photo by Theodore Scott.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Photo by Jason K. Bach.
Great Horned Owl and chick. Photo by eileenfonferko.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado. Photo by tchiakulas.
Hawaiian flower. Photo by Kryalab.
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire. Photo by Sandra Van Hoek.
Mississippi River sunset. Photo by ellephotography15.
Monarch butterfly hanging on milkweed blooms in Maryland. Photo by Melissa O'Neal.
Mountain Goat in the Mount Evans Wilderness Area, Colorado. Photo by rashires.
Denali in Alaska. Photo by hawghead56.
Palm Fronds. Photo by firegirl22.
Midland painted turtle in Maryland. Photo by Melissa O'Neal.
Redwood National Park, California. Photo by sharloch.
Rhododendron bursting to life in Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee. Photo by wickedpasta.
Sequoia National Park in California. Photo by lucinda88420.
Sprite Lake, The Enchantments in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Photo by Eli Boschetto.
Strawberry Hedgehog Cactus in Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona. Photo by Murray Bolesta.
Sunrise in Haleakala National Park - the island of Maui, Hawaii. Photo by L. Napoli.
Sylvania Wilderness Area, Michigan. Photo by Jeff Rennicke.
The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah. Photo by fbs1975.
Daisy with water droplets in Wisconsin. Photo by mattsxb.
Wild bull moose at Lake Isabella, Colorado. Photo by Jason K. Bach.
Sunrise near York, Maine. Photo by DeRonda Hastings.
Wilderness Experts View All >
Sam Goldman
Sam has been with The Wilderness Society since Fall 2007. He came most recently from M+R Strategic Services in Washington, DC where he worked with national environmental groups to improve their online campaign work and field organizing capacity. Before that, Sam was the Assistant National Field Director for U.S. PIRG where he covered a variety of issues including the fight to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Comments
Pictures
Thanks for sharing! The pictures brought back wonderful memories of years past when I was able to tour various national parks. They truly are a blessing and need to be respected as the gift they are!!!
viewing the show
The photos are absolutely wonderful. I would like to know how to pause the show when I want to view a particular photo for a longer time. I thought that the pace of the show was too fast -- it takes time to truly absorb these beautiful images.
Thanks so much.
Seyna
Move the mouse cursor to the
Move the mouse cursor to the bottom right corner a pause button, ll looks like that should appear
Southern Biodiversity
Thank you for the inspirational, artful photographs! I have been fortunate to have visited these places and the photos do them justice. In the future please consider traveling to the rich, biologically diverse state of Alabama and discover the crown jewels within the Bankhead National Forest and the Sipsey Wilderness
Perfection
Perfection is hard to improve on and difficult to capture on film. The folks who submitted pictures here have come as close as possible without taking each of us to the place and the moment. Thank you all.
Thank you for sharing these
Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures of our magnificent planet.
Thank you for taking care of it.
When I see such a collection
When I see such a collection of the magnificent beauty of our wilderness, and I think that some of the wild places will be no more, tears come into my eyes. My resolve to protect the wild places is strengthened; I will urge everyone I know to join me in writing Representatives and Senators to urge the preservation of a most important part of our national heritage. Please help; visit the wild, and vote to keep it wild.
GregB
Splendid, awesome! Thanks so
Splendid, awesome! Thanks so much. I can't help but observe, however, that there are no photos of Yosemite. You rightly praised Ken Burns' PBS series on the national parks, and he makes it very clear that Yosemite was the original national park and that neary all the rest stems from the work done in establishing that great--and still photogenic-- park. But thanks again for this slide show.
When is the next photo
When is the next photo contest and how does one enter?
Gallery of photos
What an astounding array of brilliance!
Photography
Wow! What beautiful photography. Thank you to all of the photographers who participated in this contest. They cannot all win but they have, nonetheless, provided true treasure to all of us. online casino
Wildlife Photos
What magnificent photography a pleasure to watch, I really loved the 2nd one of the eagle and also the owl and chick!!
Thank You
Ah, Wilderness!
These photos are so awesome, I want to BE there!
America the Beautiful
Litterally, takes my breath away. One doesn't need to leave this country for beauty.