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:

1. National Park Service
2. Bureau of Land Management
3. Bureau of Reclamation
4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
5. U.S. Forest Service
6. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

When does the photo need to be taken?

The photo must be taken between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016.

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.

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.

How many photos can I enter?

Entries are limited to two per week (Monday 12:00am ET-Sunday 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 April 28, 2016 to December 31, 2016 and the winners will be announced Spring 2017.

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 48 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 sponsors 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 Weekly Winner?

The weekly winner is guaranteed a spot in the finals and will be picked each week of the contest. The photo will be picked by a contest administrator, or 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 weekly winners will not only receive a automatic entry into the finals, but will also receive a Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass which will be mailed to you at the conclusion of the contest.

What are the categories?

There are six categories, Scenic, Wildlife, Historical & Cultural, Adventure & Outdoor Recreation, Night Skies and Every Kid in a Park. 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@activenetwork.com